2005 vs 2021
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+52.8%
Median Home
+61.9%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2005 Price | 2021 Price | Change | Hours 2005 | Hours 2021 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.22 | $1.67 | +37% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.04 | $1.52 | +46% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.19 | $3.54 | +11% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $2.30 | $3.05 | +33% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $2.30 | $4.33 | +89% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.06 | $1.53 | +45% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.39 | $6.64 | +96% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.26 | $4.71 | +44% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.74 | $4.89 | +31% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $7.77 | $13.19 | +70% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.10 | $0.14 | +41% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $5,351 | $9,375 | +75% | 240.2h | 275.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $25,164 | $42,258 | +68% | 1129.7h | 1241.8h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $685 | $1,100 | +61% | 30.7h | 32.3h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $68.19 | $92.47 | +36% | 3.1h | 2.7h | Easier |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.42 | $9.12 | +42% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2005 to 2021, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
240.2h → 275.5h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
1129.7h → 1241.8h
harder
30.7h → 32.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2005 to 2021, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.1h → 2.7h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2005 ($46,330), you'd need $64,291 in 2021 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (195.3 → 271.0).