1997 vs 2019
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+85.6%
Median Home
+120.9%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1997 Price | 2019 Price | Change | Hours 1997 | Hours 2019 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.06 | $1.40 | +32% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.87 | $1.30 | +49% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.61 | $3.04 | +16% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $2.64 | +114% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.40 | $3.81 | +173% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.00 | $1.50 | +49% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.68 | $5.61 | +109% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.11 | $4.14 | +1% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.92 | $4.81 | +65% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.17 | $12.06 | +133% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +45% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,111 | $9,349 | +201% | 174.8h | 283.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $20,276 | $38,723 | +91% | 1139.5h | 1172.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $525 | $1,043 | +99% | 29.5h | 31.6h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.03 | $81.15 | +119% | 2.1h | 2.5h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $4.69 | $8.72 | +86% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1997 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
174.8h → 283.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
2.1h → 2.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
29.5h → 31.6h
harder
1139.5h → 1172.4h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1997 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1997 ($37,010), you'd need $58,942 in 2019 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (160.5 → 255.7).