HarderToEarn.com

2004 vs 2005

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$44,330 $46,330

+4.5%

Median Home

$218,150 $236,550

+8.4%

Housing Labor

4.9yr 5.1yr

1.0x harder

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 2004 Price 2005 Price Change Hours 2004 Hours 2005 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $1.34 $1.22 -9% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🍞 Bread $0.97 $1.04 +7% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
🥛 Milk $3.16 $3.19 +1% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
⛽ Gas $1.88 $2.30 +22% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥩 Ground Beef $2.16 $2.30 +6% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🐔 Chicken $1.07 $1.06 -1% 0.1h 0.0h Easier
🥓 Bacon $3.38 $3.39 +0% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
☕ Coffee $2.85 $3.26 +14% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🍊 Oranges $3.84 $3.74 -2% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
🍬 Sugar $6.92 $7.77 +12% 0.3h 0.3h Harder
⚡ Electricity $0.09 $0.10 +6% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
🎓 College Tuition $5,027 $5,351 +6% 235.9h 240.2h Harder
🚗 New Car $23,686 $25,164 +6% 1111.4h 1129.7h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $665 $685 +3% 31.2h 30.7h Easier
🏥 Doctor Visit $55.93 $68.19 +22% 2.6h 3.1h Harder
🎬 Movie Ticket $6.22 $6.42 +3% 0.3h 0.3h Easier

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 2004 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

1.2x

harder

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.6h → 3.1h

1.2x

harder

Coffee

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🍬
Sugar

0.3h → 0.3h

1.1x

harder

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.0h

1.0x

harder

🎓
College Tuition

235.9h → 240.2h

1.0x

harder

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

harder

🚗
New Car

1111.4h → 1129.7h

1.0x

harder

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 2004 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

0.9x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.0h

0.9x

easier

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.2h

1.0x

easier

🥛
Milk

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

easier

🏠
Monthly Rent

31.2h → 30.7h

1.0x

easier

🎬
Movie Ticket

0.3h → 0.3h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 2004 ($44,330), you'd need $45,822 in 2005 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (188.9 → 195.3).

Share on

🔗 Related Comparisons