2003 vs 2014
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+23.9%
Median Home
+48.7%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2003 Price | 2014 Price | Change | Hours 2003 | Hours 2014 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.24 | $2.02 | +62% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.00 | $1.40 | +40% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.76 | $3.69 | +34% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.59 | $3.37 | +112% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.95 | $3.90 | +100% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.03 | $1.53 | +48% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.20 | $5.78 | +81% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.92 | $4.99 | +71% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.81 | $4.89 | +28% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $6.39 | $11.70 | +83% | 0.3h | 0.5h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +48% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $4,587 | $8,543 | +86% | 220.2h | 331.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $23,282 | $33,560 | +44% | 1117.9h | 1300.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $647 | $870 | +34% | 31.1h | 33.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $47.43 | $102 | +114% | 2.3h | 3.9h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.03 | $7.73 | +28% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2003 to 2014, sorted by magnitude.
2.3h → 3.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
220.2h → 331.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.5h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
1117.9h → 1300.9h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
31.1h → 33.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2003 ($43,320), you'd need $55,731 in 2014 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (184.0 → 236.7).