1997 vs 2015
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+52.7%
Median Home
+102.9%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1997 Price | 2015 Price | Change | Hours 1997 | Hours 2015 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.06 | $2.47 | +133% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.87 | $1.44 | +65% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.61 | $3.42 | +31% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $2.45 | +98% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.40 | $4.17 | +198% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.00 | $1.49 | +49% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.68 | $5.45 | +103% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.11 | $4.72 | +15% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.92 | $4.74 | +63% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.17 | $12.25 | +137% | 0.3h | 0.5h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +46% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,111 | $8,778 | +182% | 174.8h | 323.0h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $20,276 | $34,428 | +70% | 1139.5h | 1267.0h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $525 | $901 | +72% | 29.5h | 33.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.03 | $74.01 | +100% | 2.1h | 2.7h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $4.69 | $7.90 | +68% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1997 to 2015, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
174.8h → 323.0h
harder
0.3h → 0.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
2.1h → 2.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
29.5h → 33.2h
harder
1139.5h → 1267.0h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1997 to 2015, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1997 ($37,010), you'd need $54,642 in 2015 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (160.5 → 237.0).