2003 vs 2009
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+14.9%
Median Home
+12.2%
Housing Labor
1.0x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2003 Price | 2009 Price | Change | Hours 2003 | Hours 2009 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.24 | $1.66 | +34% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.00 | $1.39 | +39% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.76 | $3.11 | +13% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.59 | $2.35 | +48% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.95 | $2.22 | +14% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.03 | $1.28 | +24% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.20 | $3.61 | +13% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.92 | $3.67 | +26% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.81 | $4.32 | +13% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $6.39 | $10.07 | +58% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.13 | +37% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $4,587 | $6,695 | +46% | 220.2h | 279.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $23,282 | $28,400 | +22% | 1117.9h | 1186.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $647 | $784 | +21% | 31.1h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $47.43 | $70.76 | +49% | 2.3h | 3.0h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.03 | $7.18 | +19% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2003 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
2.3h → 3.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
220.2h → 279.7h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
1117.9h → 1186.7h
harder
31.1h → 32.7h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2003 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2003 ($43,320), you'd need $50,516 in 2009 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (184.0 → 214.6).