2003 vs 2012
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+17.8%
Median Home
+27.2%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2003 Price | 2012 Price | Change | Hours 2003 | Hours 2012 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.24 | $1.84 | +48% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.00 | $1.42 | +42% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.76 | $3.49 | +26% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.59 | $3.64 | +129% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.95 | $3.03 | +55% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.03 | $1.42 | +37% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.20 | $4.56 | +42% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.92 | $5.68 | +95% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.81 | $5.04 | +32% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $6.39 | $10.28 | +61% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.13 | +40% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $4,587 | $8,070 | +76% | 220.2h | 329.0h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $23,282 | $31,252 | +34% | 1117.9h | 1274.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $647 | $820 | +27% | 31.1h | 33.4h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $47.43 | $109 | +130% | 2.3h | 4.4h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.03 | $7.51 | +25% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2003 to 2012, sorted by magnitude.
2.3h → 4.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
220.2h → 329.0h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
1117.9h → 1274.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
31.1h → 33.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2003 ($43,320), you'd need $54,053 in 2012 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (184.0 → 229.6).