1997 vs 2017
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+65.2%
Median Home
+122.4%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1997 Price | 2017 Price | Change | Hours 1997 | Hours 2017 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.06 | $1.47 | +39% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.87 | $1.33 | +53% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.61 | $3.23 | +23% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $2.41 | +95% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.40 | $3.64 | +161% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.00 | $1.47 | +47% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.68 | $5.77 | +115% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.11 | $4.45 | +8% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.92 | $4.69 | +61% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.17 | $12.66 | +145% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +46% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,111 | $9,037 | +190% | 174.8h | 307.4h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $20,276 | $36,113 | +78% | 1139.5h | 1228.6h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $525 | $971 | +85% | 29.5h | 33.0h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.03 | $74.24 | +100% | 2.1h | 2.5h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $4.69 | $8.40 | +79% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1997 to 2017, sorted by magnitude.
174.8h → 307.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
2.1h → 2.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
29.5h → 33.0h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
1139.5h → 1228.6h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1997 to 2017, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1997 ($37,010), you'd need $56,514 in 2017 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (160.5 → 245.1).