1997 vs 2007
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+35.7%
Median Home
+68.9%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1997 Price | 2007 Price | Change | Hours 1997 | Hours 2007 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.06 | $1.68 | +58% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.87 | $1.21 | +38% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.61 | $3.50 | +34% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $2.80 | +127% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.40 | $2.30 | +65% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.00 | $1.12 | +11% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.68 | $3.66 | +36% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.11 | $3.47 | -16% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.92 | $3.95 | +36% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.17 | $8.55 | +65% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.12 | +24% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,111 | $5,943 | +91% | 174.8h | 246.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $20,276 | $27,026 | +33% | 1139.5h | 1119.1h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $525 | $739 | +41% | 29.5h | 30.6h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.03 | $83.31 | +125% | 2.1h | 3.4h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $4.69 | $6.91 | +47% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1997 to 2007, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.1h → 3.4h
harder
174.8h → 246.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
29.5h → 30.6h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1997 to 2007, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1997 ($37,010), you'd need $47,804 in 2007 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (160.5 → 207.3).