2008 vs 2017
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+21.6%
Median Home
+40.5%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2008 Price | 2017 Price | Change | Hours 2008 | Hours 2017 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.99 | $1.47 | -26% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.37 | $1.33 | -2% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.80 | $3.23 | -15% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $3.27 | $2.41 | -26% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $2.34 | $3.64 | +55% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.21 | $1.47 | +22% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.66 | $5.77 | +58% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $4.21 | $4.69 | +11% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $9.45 | $12.66 | +34% | 0.4h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.12 | $0.14 | +12% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $6,185 | $9,037 | +46% | 255.8h | 307.4h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $27,291 | $36,113 | +32% | 1128.5h | 1228.6h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $766 | $971 | +27% | 31.7h | 33.0h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $96.75 | $74.24 | -23% | 4.0h | 2.5h | Easier |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $7.07 | $8.40 | +19% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2008 to 2017, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
255.8h → 307.4h
harder
0.4h → 0.4h
harder
1128.5h → 1228.6h
harder
31.7h → 33.0h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2008 to 2017, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
4.0h → 2.5h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2008 ($50,300), you'd need $57,279 in 2017 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (215.3 → 245.1).