HarderToEarn.com

2002 vs 2013

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$42,410 $53,590

+26.4%

Median Home

$186,025 $266,225

+43.1%

Housing Labor

4.4yr 5.0yr

1.1x harder

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 2002 Price 2013 Price Change Hours 2002 Hours 2013 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $1.03 $1.91 +85% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🍞 Bread $1.02 $1.41 +39% 0.0h 0.1h Harder
🥛 Milk $2.76 $3.46 +26% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
⛽ Gas $1.36 $3.53 +160% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥩 Ground Beef $1.71 $3.40 +99% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🐔 Chicken $1.07 $1.50 +39% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥓 Bacon $3.24 $5.29 +63% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
☕ Coffee $2.92 $5.45 +87% 0.1h 0.2h Harder
🍊 Oranges $3.73 $4.99 +34% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
🍬 Sugar $6.23 $10.72 +72% 0.3h 0.4h Harder
⚡ Electricity $0.09 $0.13 +45% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
🎓 College Tuition $4,081 $8,312 +104% 200.2h 322.6h Harder
🚗 New Car $22,871 $32,086 +40% 1121.7h 1245.4h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $629 $843 +34% 30.8h 32.7h Harder
🏥 Doctor Visit $40.59 $106 +161% 2.0h 4.1h Harder
🎬 Movie Ticket $5.73 $7.59 +32% 0.3h 0.3h Harder

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 2002 to 2013, sorted by magnitude.

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.0h → 4.1h

2.1x

harder

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

2.1x

harder

🎓
College Tuition

200.2h → 322.6h

1.6x

harder

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

1.6x

harder

Coffee

0.1h → 0.2h

1.5x

harder

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.1h

1.5x

harder

🍬
Sugar

0.3h → 0.4h

1.4x

harder

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.2h

1.3x

harder

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

1.1x

harder

🚗
New Car

1121.7h → 1245.4h

1.1x

harder

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🏠
Monthly Rent

30.8h → 32.7h

1.1x

harder

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

1.1x

harder

🎬
Movie Ticket

0.3h → 0.3h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 2002 to 2013, sorted by magnitude.

🥛
Milk

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 2002 ($42,410), you'd need $54,927 in 2013 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (179.9 → 233.0).

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