HarderToEarn.com

1999 vs 2010

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$40,700 $49,280

+21.1%

Median Home

$160,125 $222,700

+39.1%

Housing Labor

3.9yr 4.5yr

1.1x harder

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 1999 Price 2010 Price Change Hours 1999 Hours 2010 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $0.96 $1.66 +73% 0.0h 0.1h Harder
🍞 Bread $0.89 $1.37 +55% 0.0h 0.1h Harder
🥛 Milk $2.84 $3.26 +15% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
⛽ Gas $1.17 $2.79 +139% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥩 Ground Beef $1.45 $2.37 +63% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🐔 Chicken $1.06 $1.26 +20% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥓 Bacon $2.55 $4.11 +61% 0.1h 0.2h Harder
☕ Coffee $3.43 $3.91 +14% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
🍊 Oranges $3.30 $4.46 +35% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
🍬 Sugar $5.24 $9.65 +84% 0.3h 0.4h Harder
⚡ Electricity $0.09 $0.13 +48% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
🎓 College Tuition $3,356 $7,136 +113% 171.5h 301.2h Harder
🚗 New Car $21,092 $29,217 +39% 1077.9h 1233.2h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $559 $786 +41% 28.6h 33.2h Harder
🏥 Doctor Visit $35.05 $83.69 +139% 1.8h 3.5h Harder
🎬 Movie Ticket $5.03 $7.29 +45% 0.3h 0.3h Harder

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 1999 to 2010, sorted by magnitude.

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

2.0x

harder

🏥
Doctor Visit

1.8h → 3.5h

2.0x

harder

🎓
College Tuition

171.5h → 301.2h

1.8x

harder

🍬
Sugar

0.3h → 0.4h

1.5x

harder

🥚
Eggs

0.0h → 0.1h

1.4x

harder

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

1.3x

harder

🥓
Bacon

0.1h → 0.2h

1.3x

harder

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.1h

1.3x

harder

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

1.2x

harder

🎬
Movie Ticket

0.3h → 0.3h

1.2x

harder

🏠
Monthly Rent

28.6h → 33.2h

1.2x

harder

🚗
New Car

1077.9h → 1233.2h

1.1x

harder

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

1.1x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 1999 to 2010, sorted by magnitude.

Coffee

0.2h → 0.2h

0.9x

easier

🥛
Milk

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 1999 ($40,700), you'd need $53,281 in 2010 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (166.6 → 218.1).

Share on

🔗 Related Comparisons