2003 vs 2015
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+30.5%
Median Home
+53.1%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2003 Price | 2015 Price | Change | Hours 2003 | Hours 2015 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.24 | $2.47 | +98% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.00 | $1.44 | +44% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $2.76 | $3.42 | +24% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.59 | $2.45 | +54% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.95 | $4.17 | +114% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.03 | $1.49 | +44% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.20 | $5.45 | +71% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.92 | $4.72 | +62% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.81 | $4.74 | +25% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $6.39 | $12.25 | +92% | 0.3h | 0.5h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +49% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $4,587 | $8,778 | +91% | 220.2h | 323.0h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $23,282 | $34,428 | +48% | 1117.9h | 1267.0h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $647 | $901 | +39% | 31.1h | 33.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $47.43 | $74.01 | +56% | 2.3h | 2.7h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.03 | $7.90 | +31% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2003 to 2015, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.5h
harder
220.2h → 323.0h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
2.3h → 2.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
1117.9h → 1267.0h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
31.1h → 33.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2003 to 2015, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2003 ($43,320), you'd need $55,798 in 2015 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (184.0 → 237.0).