2000 vs 2008
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+19.8%
Median Home
+37.0%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2000 Price | 2008 Price | Change | Hours 2000 | Hours 2008 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.91 | $1.99 | +117% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.93 | $1.37 | +47% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.78 | $3.80 | +36% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.51 | $3.27 | +116% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.57 | $2.34 | +49% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.07 | $1.21 | +13% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.03 | $3.66 | +21% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.45 | $4.21 | +22% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.41 | $9.45 | +75% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.12 | +41% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,501 | $6,185 | +77% | 173.4h | 255.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $21,850 | $27,291 | +25% | 1082.4h | 1128.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $579 | $766 | +32% | 28.7h | 31.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $44.99 | $96.75 | +115% | 2.2h | 4.0h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $5.36 | $7.07 | +32% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2000 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.2h → 4.0h
harder
173.4h → 255.8h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
28.7h → 31.7h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
1082.4h → 1128.5h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2000 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2000 ($41,990), you'd need $52,491 in 2008 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (172.2 → 215.3).