2004 vs 2006
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+8.7%
Median Home
+11.7%
Housing Labor
1.0x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2004 Price | 2006 Price | Change | Hours 2004 | Hours 2006 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.34 | $1.31 | -2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.97 | $1.08 | +11% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.16 | $3.08 | -2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.88 | $2.59 | +38% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $2.16 | $2.22 | +3% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.07 | $1.05 | -2% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.38 | $3.44 | +2% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.85 | $3.20 | +12% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.84 | $3.75 | -2% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $6.92 | $7.90 | +14% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.11 | +19% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $5,027 | $5,666 | +13% | 235.9h | 244.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $23,686 | $25,950 | +10% | 1111.4h | 1119.8h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $665 | $709 | +7% | 31.2h | 30.6h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $55.93 | $76.82 | +37% | 2.6h | 3.3h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.22 | $6.65 | +7% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2004 to 2006, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.6h → 3.3h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
235.9h → 244.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
1111.4h → 1119.8h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2004 to 2006, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
31.2h → 30.6h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2004 ($44,330), you'd need $47,299 in 2006 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (188.9 → 201.6).