1999 vs 2003
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+6.4%
Median Home
+20.0%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1999 Price | 2003 Price | Change | Hours 1999 | Hours 2003 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.96 | $1.24 | +30% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.89 | $1.00 | +13% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.84 | $2.76 | -3% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.17 | $1.59 | +37% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.45 | $1.95 | +34% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.06 | $1.03 | -2% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.55 | $3.20 | +25% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $2.92 | -15% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.30 | $3.81 | +16% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.24 | $6.39 | +22% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | +8% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,356 | $4,587 | +37% | 171.5h | 220.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $21,092 | $23,282 | +10% | 1077.9h | 1117.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $559 | $647 | +16% | 28.6h | 31.1h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.05 | $47.43 | +35% | 1.8h | 2.3h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $5.03 | $6.03 | +20% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1999 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
171.5h → 220.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1.8h → 2.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
28.6h → 31.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
1077.9h → 1117.9h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1999 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1999 ($40,700), you'd need $44,955 in 2003 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (166.6 → 184.0).