HarderToEarn.com

2002 vs 2005

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$42,410 $46,330

+9.2%

Median Home

$186,025 $236,550

+27.2%

Housing Labor

4.4yr 5.1yr

1.2x harder

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 2002 Price 2005 Price Change Hours 2002 Hours 2005 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $1.03 $1.22 +18% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🍞 Bread $1.02 $1.04 +2% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
🥛 Milk $2.76 $3.19 +16% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
⛽ Gas $1.36 $2.30 +69% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥩 Ground Beef $1.71 $2.30 +34% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🐔 Chicken $1.07 $1.06 -2% 0.1h 0.0h Easier
🥓 Bacon $3.24 $3.39 +5% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
☕ Coffee $2.92 $3.26 +12% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🍊 Oranges $3.73 $3.74 +0% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
🍬 Sugar $6.23 $7.77 +25% 0.3h 0.3h Harder
⚡ Electricity $0.09 $0.10 +10% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
🎓 College Tuition $4,081 $5,351 +31% 200.2h 240.2h Harder
🚗 New Car $22,871 $25,164 +10% 1121.7h 1129.7h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $629 $685 +9% 30.8h 30.7h Easier
🏥 Doctor Visit $40.59 $68.19 +68% 2.0h 3.1h Harder
🎬 Movie Ticket $5.73 $6.42 +12% 0.3h 0.3h Harder

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 2002 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

1.5x

harder

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.0h → 3.1h

1.5x

harder

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

1.2x

harder

🎓
College Tuition

200.2h → 240.2h

1.2x

harder

🍬
Sugar

0.3h → 0.3h

1.1x

harder

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🥛
Milk

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🎬
Movie Ticket

0.3h → 0.3h

1.0x

harder

Coffee

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

harder

🚗
New Car

1121.7h → 1129.7h

1.0x

harder

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 2002 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.0h

0.9x

easier

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

0.9x

easier

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.0h

0.9x

easier

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.2h

1.0x

easier

🏠
Monthly Rent

30.8h → 30.7h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 2002 ($42,410), you'd need $46,041 in 2005 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (179.9 → 195.3).

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