1999 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+8.9%
Median Home
+36.2%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1999 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 1999 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.96 | $1.34 | +40% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.89 | $0.97 | +9% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.84 | $3.16 | +11% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.17 | $1.88 | +61% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.45 | $2.16 | +49% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.06 | $1.07 | +1% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.55 | $3.38 | +32% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $2.85 | -17% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.30 | $3.84 | +16% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.24 | $6.92 | +32% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | +9% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,356 | $5,027 | +50% | 171.5h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $21,092 | $23,686 | +12% | 1077.9h | 1111.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $559 | $665 | +19% | 28.6h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.05 | $55.93 | +60% | 1.8h | 2.6h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $5.03 | $6.22 | +24% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1999 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1.8h → 2.6h
harder
171.5h → 235.9h
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 → 31.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
1077.9h → 1111.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1999 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1999 ($40,700), you'd need $46,154 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (166.6 → 188.9).