1999 vs 2013
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+31.7%
Median Home
+66.3%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1999 Price | 2013 Price | Change | Hours 1999 | Hours 2013 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.96 | $1.91 | +99% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.89 | $1.41 | +59% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.84 | $3.46 | +22% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.17 | $3.53 | +203% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.45 | $3.40 | +134% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.06 | $1.50 | +42% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.55 | $5.29 | +107% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $5.45 | +59% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.30 | $4.99 | +52% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.24 | $10.72 | +105% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.13 | +53% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,356 | $8,312 | +148% | 171.5h | 322.6h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $21,092 | $32,086 | +52% | 1077.9h | 1245.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $559 | $843 | +51% | 28.6h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.05 | $106 | +202% | 1.8h | 4.1h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $5.03 | $7.59 | +51% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1999 to 2013, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1.8h → 4.1h
harder
171.5h → 322.6h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
1077.9h → 1245.4h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
28.6h → 32.7h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1999 to 2013, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1999 ($40,700), you'd need $56,915 in 2013 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (166.6 → 233.0).