2001 vs 2008
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+19.1%
Median Home
+32.6%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2001 Price | 2008 Price | Change | Hours 2001 | Hours 2008 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.93 | $1.99 | +114% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.00 | $1.37 | +37% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.88 | $3.80 | +32% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.46 | $3.27 | +124% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.71 | $2.34 | +37% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.11 | $1.21 | +9% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.25 | $3.66 | +12% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.70 | $4.21 | +14% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $5.96 | $9.45 | +59% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.12 | +34% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $3,735 | $6,185 | +66% | 184.0h | 255.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $22,457 | $27,291 | +22% | 1106.1h | 1128.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $605 | $766 | +27% | 29.8h | 31.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $43.32 | $96.75 | +123% | 2.1h | 4.0h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $5.56 | $7.07 | +27% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2001 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.1h → 4.0h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
184.0h → 255.8h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
29.8h → 31.7h
harder
1106.1h → 1128.5h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2001 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2001 ($42,230), you'd need $51,345 in 2008 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (177.0 → 215.3).