1997 vs 2021
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+91.2%
Median Home
+164.1%
Housing Labor
1.4x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1997 Price | 2021 Price | Change | Hours 1997 | Hours 2021 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.06 | $1.67 | +58% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.87 | $1.52 | +75% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.61 | $3.54 | +36% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $3.05 | +147% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.40 | $4.33 | +210% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.00 | $1.53 | +52% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.68 | $6.64 | +148% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.11 | $4.71 | +14% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.92 | $4.89 | +68% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.17 | $13.19 | +155% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +49% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,111 | $9,375 | +201% | 174.8h | 275.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $20,276 | $42,258 | +108% | 1139.5h | 1241.8h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $525 | $1,100 | +109% | 29.5h | 32.3h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.03 | $92.47 | +150% | 2.1h | 2.7h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $4.69 | $9.12 | +95% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1997 to 2021, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
174.8h → 275.5h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
2.1h → 2.7h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
29.5h → 32.3h
harder
1139.5h → 1241.8h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1997 to 2021, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1997 ($37,010), you'd need $62,473 in 2021 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (160.5 → 271.0).