2004 vs 2021
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+59.7%
Median Home
+75.6%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2004 Price | 2021 Price | Change | Hours 2004 | Hours 2021 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.34 | $1.67 | +25% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.97 | $1.52 | +57% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.16 | $3.54 | +12% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.88 | $3.05 | +62% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $2.16 | $4.33 | +100% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.07 | $1.53 | +43% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.38 | $6.64 | +97% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.85 | $4.71 | +65% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.84 | $4.89 | +27% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $6.92 | $13.19 | +91% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +49% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $5,027 | $9,375 | +86% | 235.9h | 275.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $23,686 | $42,258 | +78% | 1111.4h | 1241.8h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $665 | $1,100 | +65% | 31.2h | 32.3h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $55.93 | $92.47 | +65% | 2.6h | 2.7h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.22 | $9.12 | +47% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2004 to 2021, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
235.9h → 275.5h
harder
1111.4h → 1241.8h
harder
31.2h → 32.3h
harder
2.6h → 2.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2004 to 2021, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2004 ($44,330), you'd need $63,586 in 2021 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (188.9 → 271.0).