1999 vs 2020
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+67.1%
Median Home
+104.9%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1999 Price | 2020 Price | Change | Hours 1999 | Hours 2020 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.96 | $1.51 | +57% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.89 | $1.45 | +64% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.84 | $3.32 | +17% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.17 | $2.17 | +87% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.45 | $4.12 | +183% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.06 | $1.56 | +48% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.55 | $5.58 | +119% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $4.43 | +29% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.30 | $4.92 | +49% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.24 | $12.42 | +137% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +57% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,356 | $9,349 | +179% | 171.5h | 285.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $21,092 | $40,107 | +90% | 1077.9h | 1226.6h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $559 | $1,076 | +92% | 28.6h | 32.9h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.05 | $68.24 | +95% | 1.8h | 2.1h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $5.03 | $8.87 | +76% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1999 to 2020, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
171.5h → 285.9h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1.8h → 2.1h
harder
28.6h → 32.9h
harder
1077.9h → 1226.6h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1999 to 2020, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1999 ($40,700), you'd need $63,244 in 2020 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (166.6 → 258.9).