2004 vs 2008
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+13.5%
Median Home
+5.2%
Housing Labor
1.1x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2004 Price | 2008 Price | Change | Hours 2004 | Hours 2008 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.34 | $1.99 | +48% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.97 | $1.37 | +41% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.16 | $3.80 | +20% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.88 | $3.27 | +74% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $2.16 | $2.34 | +9% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.07 | $1.21 | +13% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.38 | $3.66 | +8% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.84 | $4.21 | +10% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $6.92 | $9.45 | +37% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.12 | +31% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $5,027 | $6,185 | +23% | 235.9h | 255.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $23,686 | $27,291 | +15% | 1111.4h | 1128.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $665 | $766 | +15% | 31.2h | 31.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $55.93 | $96.75 | +73% | 2.6h | 4.0h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.22 | $7.07 | +14% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2004 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.6h → 4.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
235.9h → 255.8h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
31.2h → 31.7h
harder
1111.4h → 1128.5h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2004 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2004 ($44,330), you'd need $50,512 in 2008 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (188.9 → 215.3).