1997 vs 2022
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+101.5%
Median Home
+198.6%
Housing Labor
1.5x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1997 Price | 2022 Price | Change | Hours 1997 | Hours 2022 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.06 | $2.86 | +170% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.87 | $1.70 | +95% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.61 | $4.09 | +57% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.23 | $4.09 | +232% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.40 | $4.81 | +244% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.00 | $1.80 | +80% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.68 | $7.31 | +173% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $4.11 | $5.89 | +43% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.92 | $5.43 | +86% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.17 | $13.48 | +161% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.16 | +68% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,111 | $9,750 | +213% | 174.8h | 271.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $20,276 | $48,008 | +137% | 1139.5h | 1338.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $525 | $1,166 | +122% | 29.5h | 32.5h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $37.03 | $121 | +228% | 2.1h | 3.4h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $4.69 | $9.67 | +106% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1997 to 2022, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.1h → 3.4h
harder
174.8h → 271.9h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
1139.5h → 1338.9h
harder
29.5h → 32.5h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1997 to 2022, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1997 ($37,010), you'd need $67,467 in 2022 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (160.5 → 292.6).