1999 vs 2019
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+68.8%
Median Home
+100.0%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1999 Price | 2019 Price | Change | Hours 1999 | Hours 2019 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.96 | $1.40 | +46% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.89 | $1.30 | +46% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.84 | $3.04 | +7% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.17 | $2.64 | +126% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.45 | $3.81 | +162% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.06 | $1.50 | +42% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.55 | $5.61 | +120% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $4.14 | +21% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.30 | $4.81 | +46% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.24 | $12.06 | +130% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +58% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,356 | $9,349 | +179% | 171.5h | 283.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $21,092 | $38,723 | +84% | 1077.9h | 1172.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $559 | $1,043 | +87% | 28.6h | 31.6h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.05 | $81.15 | +132% | 1.8h | 2.5h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $5.03 | $8.72 | +73% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1999 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
171.5h → 283.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1.8h → 2.5h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
28.6h → 31.6h
harder
1077.9h → 1172.4h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1999 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1999 ($40,700), you'd need $62,462 in 2019 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (166.6 → 255.7).