1999 vs 2015
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+38.9%
Median Home
+83.7%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1999 Price | 2015 Price | Change | Hours 1999 | Hours 2015 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.96 | $2.47 | +157% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.89 | $1.44 | +62% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.84 | $3.42 | +20% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.17 | $2.45 | +110% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.45 | $4.17 | +187% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.06 | $1.49 | +41% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.55 | $5.45 | +114% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $4.72 | +38% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.30 | $4.74 | +44% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.24 | $12.25 | +134% | 0.3h | 0.5h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +60% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,356 | $8,778 | +162% | 171.5h | 323.0h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $21,092 | $34,428 | +63% | 1077.9h | 1267.0h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $559 | $901 | +61% | 28.6h | 33.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.05 | $74.01 | +111% | 1.8h | 2.7h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $5.03 | $7.90 | +57% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1999 to 2015, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
171.5h → 323.0h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1.8h → 2.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1077.9h → 1267.0h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
28.6h → 33.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1999 to 2015, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1999 ($40,700), you'd need $57,905 in 2015 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (166.6 → 237.0).