1997 vs 2016
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+59.5%
Median Home
+110.4%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1997 Price | 2016 Price | Change | Hours 1997 | Hours 2016 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.06 | $1.68 | +59% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.87 | $1.37 | +57% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.61 | $3.20 | +23% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $2.14 | +74% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.40 | $3.75 | +169% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.00 | $1.46 | +46% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.68 | $5.42 | +102% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.11 | $4.39 | +7% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.92 | $4.76 | +63% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.17 | $12.33 | +139% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +43% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,111 | $8,804 | +183% | 174.8h | 310.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $20,276 | $35,309 | +74% | 1139.5h | 1243.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $525 | $935 | +78% | 29.5h | 32.9h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.03 | $65.64 | +77% | 2.1h | 2.3h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $4.69 | $8.18 | +75% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1997 to 2016, sorted by magnitude.
174.8h → 310.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
29.5h → 32.9h
harder
2.1h → 2.3h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
1139.5h → 1243.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1997 to 2016, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1997 ($37,010), you'd need $55,335 in 2016 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (160.5 → 240.0).