2006 vs 2008
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+4.4%
Median Home
-5.8%
Housing Labor
1.1x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2006 Price | 2008 Price | Change | Hours 2006 | Hours 2008 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.31 | $1.99 | +52% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.08 | $1.37 | +26% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.08 | $3.80 | +23% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $2.59 | $3.27 | +26% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $2.22 | $2.34 | +6% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.05 | $1.21 | +15% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.44 | $3.66 | +6% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.75 | $4.21 | +12% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $7.90 | $9.45 | +20% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.11 | $0.12 | +10% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $5,666 | $6,185 | +9% | 244.5h | 255.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $25,950 | $27,291 | +5% | 1119.8h | 1128.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $709 | $766 | +8% | 30.6h | 31.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $76.82 | $96.75 | +26% | 3.3h | 4.0h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.65 | $7.07 | +6% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2006 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
3.3h → 4.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
244.5h → 255.8h
harder
30.6h → 31.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1119.8h → 1128.5h
harder
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2006 ($48,200), you'd need $51,475 in 2008 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (201.6 → 215.3).