HarderToEarn.com

2004 vs 2010

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$44,330 $49,280

+11.2%

Median Home

$218,150 $222,700

+2.1%

Housing Labor

4.9yr 4.5yr

1.1x easier

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 2004 Price 2010 Price Change Hours 2004 Hours 2010 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $1.34 $1.66 +24% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🍞 Bread $0.97 $1.37 +42% 0.0h 0.1h Harder
🥛 Milk $3.16 $3.26 +3% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
⛽ Gas $1.88 $2.79 +48% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥩 Ground Beef $2.16 $2.37 +10% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🐔 Chicken $1.07 $1.26 +18% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥓 Bacon $3.38 $4.11 +22% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
☕ Coffee $2.85 $3.91 +37% 0.1h 0.2h Harder
🍊 Oranges $3.84 $4.46 +16% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
🍬 Sugar $6.92 $9.65 +39% 0.3h 0.4h Harder
⚡ Electricity $0.09 $0.13 +35% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
🎓 College Tuition $5,027 $7,136 +42% 235.9h 301.2h Harder
🚗 New Car $23,686 $29,217 +23% 1111.4h 1233.2h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $665 $786 +18% 31.2h 33.2h Harder
🏥 Doctor Visit $55.93 $83.69 +50% 2.6h 3.5h Harder
🎬 Movie Ticket $6.22 $7.29 +17% 0.3h 0.3h Harder

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 2004 to 2010, sorted by magnitude.

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.6h → 3.5h

1.3x

harder

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

1.3x

harder

🎓
College Tuition

235.9h → 301.2h

1.3x

harder

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.1h

1.3x

harder

🍬
Sugar

0.3h → 0.4h

1.3x

harder

Coffee

0.1h → 0.2h

1.2x

harder

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

1.2x

harder

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🚗
New Car

1111.4h → 1233.2h

1.1x

harder

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.2h

1.1x

harder

🏠
Monthly Rent

31.2h → 33.2h

1.1x

harder

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🎬
Movie Ticket

0.3h → 0.3h

1.1x

harder

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 2004 to 2010, sorted by magnitude.

🥛
Milk

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 2004 ($44,330), you'd need $51,175 in 2010 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (188.9 → 218.1).

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