2003 vs 2011
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+15.5%
Median Home
+17.1%
Housing Labor
1.0x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2003 Price | 2011 Price | Change | Hours 2003 | Hours 2011 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.24 | $1.77 | +42% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.00 | $1.44 | +44% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.76 | $3.57 | +29% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.59 | $3.53 | +122% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.95 | $2.77 | +42% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.03 | $1.29 | +25% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.20 | $4.63 | +45% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.92 | $5.19 | +78% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.81 | $4.93 | +29% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $6.39 | $9.93 | +55% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.13 | +40% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $4,587 | $7,713 | +68% | 220.2h | 320.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $23,282 | $30,659 | +32% | 1117.9h | 1274.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $647 | $799 | +23% | 31.1h | 33.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $47.43 | $105 | +122% | 2.3h | 4.4h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.03 | $7.36 | +22% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2003 to 2011, sorted by magnitude.
2.3h → 4.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
220.2h → 320.5h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
1117.9h → 1274.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
31.1h → 33.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2003 ($43,320), you'd need $52,955 in 2011 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (184.0 → 224.9).