1999 vs 2017
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+50.2%
Median Home
+101.4%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1999 Price | 2017 Price | Change | Hours 1999 | Hours 2017 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.96 | $1.47 | +53% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.89 | $1.33 | +50% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.84 | $3.23 | +13% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.17 | $2.41 | +107% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.45 | $3.64 | +151% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.06 | $1.47 | +39% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.55 | $5.77 | +126% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $4.45 | +30% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.30 | $4.69 | +42% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.24 | $12.66 | +142% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +60% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,356 | $9,037 | +169% | 171.5h | 307.4h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $21,092 | $36,113 | +71% | 1077.9h | 1228.6h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $559 | $971 | +74% | 28.6h | 33.0h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.05 | $74.24 | +112% | 1.8h | 2.5h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $5.03 | $8.40 | +67% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1999 to 2017, sorted by magnitude.
171.5h → 307.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1.8h → 2.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
28.6h → 33.0h
harder
1077.9h → 1228.6h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1999 to 2017, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1999 ($40,700), you'd need $59,888 in 2017 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (166.6 → 245.1).