2004 vs 2015
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+27.5%
Median Home
+34.8%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2004 Price | 2015 Price | Change | Hours 2004 | Hours 2015 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.34 | $2.47 | +84% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.97 | $1.44 | +49% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.16 | $3.42 | +8% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.88 | $2.45 | +30% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $2.16 | $4.17 | +93% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.07 | $1.49 | +39% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.38 | $5.45 | +62% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.85 | $4.72 | +66% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.84 | $4.74 | +24% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $6.92 | $12.25 | +77% | 0.3h | 0.5h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +46% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $5,027 | $8,778 | +75% | 235.9h | 323.0h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $23,686 | $34,428 | +45% | 1111.4h | 1267.0h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $665 | $901 | +36% | 31.2h | 33.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $55.93 | $74.01 | +32% | 2.6h | 2.7h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.22 | $7.90 | +27% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2004 to 2015, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.5h
harder
235.9h → 323.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
1111.4h → 1267.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
31.2h → 33.2h
harder
2.6h → 2.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2004 to 2015, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2004 ($44,330), you'd need $55,616 in 2015 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (188.9 → 237.0).