2004 vs 2022
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+68.2%
Median Home
+98.5%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2004 Price | 2022 Price | Change | Hours 2004 | Hours 2022 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.34 | $2.86 | +113% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.97 | $1.70 | +75% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.16 | $4.09 | +30% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.88 | $4.09 | +118% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $2.16 | $4.81 | +123% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.07 | $1.80 | +68% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.38 | $7.31 | +116% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.85 | $5.89 | +107% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.84 | $5.43 | +41% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $6.92 | $13.48 | +95% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.16 | +68% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $5,027 | $9,750 | +94% | 235.9h | 271.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $23,686 | $48,008 | +103% | 1111.4h | 1338.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $665 | $1,166 | +75% | 31.2h | 32.5h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $55.93 | $121 | +117% | 2.6h | 3.4h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.22 | $9.67 | +55% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2004 to 2022, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.6h → 3.4h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1111.4h → 1338.9h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
235.9h → 271.9h
harder
31.2h → 32.5h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2004 to 2022, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2004 ($44,330), you'd need $68,669 in 2022 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (188.9 → 292.6).