2003 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+2.3%
Median Home
+13.5%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2003 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 2003 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.24 | $1.34 | +8% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.00 | $0.97 | -3% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.76 | $3.16 | +14% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.59 | $1.88 | +18% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.95 | $2.16 | +11% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.03 | $1.07 | +3% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.20 | $3.38 | +6% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.92 | $2.85 | -2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.81 | $3.84 | +1% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $6.39 | $6.92 | +8% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.09 | +2% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $4,587 | $5,027 | +10% | 220.2h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $23,282 | $23,686 | +2% | 1117.9h | 1111.4h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $647 | $665 | +3% | 31.1h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $47.43 | $55.93 | +18% | 2.3h | 2.6h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.03 | $6.22 | +3% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2003 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.3h → 2.6h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
220.2h → 235.9h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
31.1h → 31.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2003 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
1117.9h → 1111.4h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2003 ($43,320), you'd need $44,476 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (184.0 → 188.9).