2005 vs 2016
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+27.4%
Median Home
+29.0%
Housing Labor
1.0x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2005 Price | 2016 Price | Change | Hours 2005 | Hours 2016 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.22 | $1.68 | +38% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.04 | $1.37 | +32% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.19 | $3.20 | +1% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $2.30 | $2.14 | -7% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $2.30 | $3.75 | +63% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.06 | $1.46 | +39% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.39 | $5.42 | +60% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.26 | $4.39 | +35% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.74 | $4.76 | +27% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $7.77 | $12.33 | +59% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.10 | $0.14 | +35% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $5,351 | $8,804 | +65% | 240.2h | 310.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $25,164 | $35,309 | +40% | 1129.7h | 1243.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $685 | $935 | +37% | 30.7h | 32.9h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $68.19 | $65.64 | -4% | 3.1h | 2.3h | Easier |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.42 | $8.18 | +27% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2005 to 2016, sorted by magnitude.
240.2h → 310.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
1129.7h → 1243.9h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
30.7h → 32.9h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2005 to 2016, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.1h → 2.3h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2005 ($46,330), you'd need $56,945 in 2016 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (195.3 → 240.0).