1999 vs 2008
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+23.6%
Median Home
+43.4%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1999 Price | 2008 Price | Change | Hours 1999 | Hours 2008 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.96 | $1.99 | +107% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.89 | $1.37 | +54% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.84 | $3.80 | +34% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.17 | $3.27 | +180% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.45 | $2.34 | +61% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.06 | $1.21 | +14% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.55 | $3.66 | +44% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.30 | $4.21 | +28% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.24 | $9.45 | +80% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.12 | +43% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,356 | $6,185 | +84% | 171.5h | 255.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $21,092 | $27,291 | +29% | 1077.9h | 1128.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $559 | $766 | +37% | 28.6h | 31.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.05 | $96.75 | +176% | 1.8h | 4.0h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $5.03 | $7.07 | +40% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1999 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1.8h → 4.0h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
171.5h → 255.8h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
28.6h → 31.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1077.9h → 1128.5h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1999 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1999 ($40,700), you'd need $52,591 in 2008 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (166.6 → 215.3).