HarderToEarn.com

2007 vs 2012

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$50,230 $51,020

+1.6%

Median Home

$244,950 $244,400

-0.2%

Housing Labor

4.9yr 4.8yr

1.0x easier

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 2007 Price 2012 Price Change Hours 2007 Hours 2012 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $1.68 $1.84 +10% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🍞 Bread $1.21 $1.42 +17% 0.0h 0.1h Harder
🥛 Milk $3.50 $3.49 -0% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
⛽ Gas $2.80 $3.64 +30% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥩 Ground Beef $2.30 $3.03 +32% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🐔 Chicken $1.12 $1.42 +28% 0.0h 0.1h Harder
🥓 Bacon $3.66 $4.56 +25% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
☕ Coffee $3.47 $5.68 +64% 0.1h 0.2h Harder
🍊 Oranges $3.95 $5.04 +28% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
🍬 Sugar $8.55 $10.28 +20% 0.4h 0.4h Harder
⚡ Electricity $0.12 $0.13 +11% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
🎓 College Tuition $5,943 $8,070 +36% 246.1h 329.0h Harder
🚗 New Car $27,026 $31,252 +16% 1119.1h 1274.1h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $739 $820 +11% 30.6h 33.4h Harder
🏥 Doctor Visit $83.31 $109 +31% 3.4h 4.4h Harder
🎬 Movie Ticket $6.91 $7.51 +9% 0.3h 0.3h Harder

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 2007 to 2012, sorted by magnitude.

Coffee

0.1h → 0.2h

1.6x

harder

🎓
College Tuition

246.1h → 329.0h

1.3x

harder

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

1.3x

harder

🏥
Doctor Visit

3.4h → 4.4h

1.3x

harder

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

1.3x

harder

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

1.3x

harder

🐔
Chicken

0.0h → 0.1h

1.3x

harder

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.2h

1.2x

harder

🍬
Sugar

0.4h → 0.4h

1.2x

harder

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.1h

1.2x

harder

🚗
New Car

1119.1h → 1274.1h

1.1x

harder

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

1.1x

harder

🏠
Monthly Rent

30.6h → 33.4h

1.1x

harder

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🎬
Movie Ticket

0.3h → 0.3h

1.1x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 2007 to 2012, sorted by magnitude.

🥛
Milk

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 2007 ($50,230), you'd need $55,618 in 2012 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (207.3 → 229.6).

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