2001 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+5.0%
Median Home
+26.0%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2001 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 2001 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.93 | $1.34 | +44% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.00 | $0.97 | -3% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.88 | $3.16 | +9% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.46 | $1.88 | +29% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.71 | $2.16 | +26% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.11 | $1.07 | -3% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.25 | $3.38 | +4% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.09 | $2.85 | -8% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.70 | $3.84 | +4% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.96 | $6.92 | +16% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | +2% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,735 | $5,027 | +35% | 184.0h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $22,457 | $23,686 | +5% | 1106.1h | 1111.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $605 | $665 | +10% | 29.8h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $43.32 | $55.93 | +29% | 2.1h | 2.6h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $5.56 | $6.22 | +12% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2001 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
184.0h → 235.9h
harder
2.1h → 2.6h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
29.8h → 31.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1106.1h → 1111.4h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2001 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2001 ($42,230), you'd need $45,061 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (177.0 → 188.9).