1997 vs 2009
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+34.5%
Median Home
+48.7%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1997 Price | 2009 Price | Change | Hours 1997 | Hours 2009 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.06 | $1.66 | +57% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.87 | $1.39 | +59% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.61 | $3.11 | +19% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $2.35 | +91% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.40 | $2.22 | +59% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.00 | $1.28 | +28% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.68 | $3.61 | +35% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.11 | $3.67 | -11% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.92 | $4.32 | +48% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.17 | $10.07 | +95% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.13 | +35% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,111 | $6,695 | +115% | 174.8h | 279.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $20,276 | $28,400 | +40% | 1139.5h | 1186.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $525 | $784 | +49% | 29.5h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.03 | $70.76 | +91% | 2.1h | 3.0h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $4.69 | $7.18 | +53% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1997 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
174.8h → 279.7h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
2.1h → 3.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
29.5h → 32.7h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
1139.5h → 1186.7h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1997 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1997 ($37,010), you'd need $49,469 in 2009 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (160.5 → 214.6).