2004 vs 2019
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+55.0%
Median Home
+46.8%
Housing Labor
1.1x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2004 Price | 2019 Price | Change | Hours 2004 | Hours 2019 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.34 | $1.40 | +4% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.97 | $1.30 | +34% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.16 | $3.04 | -4% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.88 | $2.64 | +40% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $2.16 | $3.81 | +76% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.07 | $1.50 | +40% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.38 | $5.61 | +66% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.85 | $4.14 | +45% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.84 | $4.81 | +25% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $6.92 | $12.06 | +74% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +45% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $5,027 | $9,349 | +86% | 235.9h | 283.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $23,686 | $38,723 | +63% | 1111.4h | 1172.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $665 | $1,043 | +57% | 31.2h | 31.6h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $55.93 | $81.15 | +45% | 2.6h | 2.5h | Easier |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.22 | $8.72 | +40% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2004 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
235.9h → 283.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
1111.4h → 1172.4h
harder
31.2h → 31.6h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2004 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
2.6h → 2.5h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2004 ($44,330), you'd need $59,992 in 2019 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (188.9 → 255.7).