2004 vs 2011
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+12.9%
Median Home
+3.1%
Housing Labor
1.1x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2004 Price | 2011 Price | Change | Hours 2004 | Hours 2011 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.34 | $1.77 | +32% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.97 | $1.44 | +49% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.16 | $3.57 | +13% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.88 | $3.53 | +88% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $2.16 | $2.77 | +29% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.07 | $1.29 | +21% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.38 | $4.63 | +37% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.85 | $5.19 | +82% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.84 | $4.93 | +28% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $6.92 | $9.93 | +43% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.13 | +38% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $5,027 | $7,713 | +53% | 235.9h | 320.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $23,686 | $30,659 | +29% | 1111.4h | 1274.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $665 | $799 | +20% | 31.2h | 33.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $55.93 | $105 | +89% | 2.6h | 4.4h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.22 | $7.36 | +18% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2004 to 2011, sorted by magnitude.
2.6h → 4.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
235.9h → 320.5h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1111.4h → 1274.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
31.2h → 33.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2004 ($44,330), you'd need $52,781 in 2011 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (188.9 → 224.9).