1999 vs 2009
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+22.3%
Median Home
+34.7%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1999 Price | 2009 Price | Change | Hours 1999 | Hours 2009 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.96 | $1.66 | +73% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.89 | $1.39 | +56% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.84 | $3.11 | +9% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.17 | $2.35 | +102% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.45 | $2.22 | +53% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.06 | $1.28 | +21% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.55 | $3.61 | +42% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $3.67 | +7% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.30 | $4.32 | +31% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.24 | $10.07 | +92% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.13 | +47% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,356 | $6,695 | +99% | 171.5h | 279.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $21,092 | $28,400 | +35% | 1077.9h | 1186.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $559 | $784 | +40% | 28.6h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.05 | $70.76 | +102% | 1.8h | 3.0h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $5.03 | $7.18 | +43% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1999 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
1.8h → 3.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
171.5h → 279.7h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
28.6h → 32.7h
harder
1077.9h → 1186.7h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1999 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1999 ($40,700), you'd need $52,423 in 2009 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (166.6 → 214.6).