2006 vs 2012
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+5.9%
Median Home
+0.3%
Housing Labor
1.1x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2006 Price | 2012 Price | Change | Hours 2006 | Hours 2012 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.31 | $1.84 | +41% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.08 | $1.42 | +31% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.08 | $3.49 | +13% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $2.59 | $3.64 | +41% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $2.22 | $3.03 | +36% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.05 | $1.42 | +36% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.44 | $4.56 | +32% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.20 | $5.68 | +77% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $3.75 | $5.04 | +34% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍬 Sugar | $7.90 | $10.28 | +30% | 0.3h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.11 | $0.13 | +15% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $5,666 | $8,070 | +42% | 244.5h | 329.0h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $25,950 | $31,252 | +20% | 1119.8h | 1274.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $709 | $820 | +16% | 30.6h | 33.4h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $76.82 | $109 | +42% | 3.3h | 4.4h | Harder |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $6.65 | $7.51 | +13% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2006 to 2012, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
244.5h → 329.0h
harder
3.3h → 4.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.4h
harder
1119.8h → 1274.1h
harder
30.6h → 33.4h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.3h → 0.3h
harder
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2006 ($48,200), you'd need $54,902 in 2012 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (201.6 → 229.6).