2008 vs 2019
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+36.6%
Median Home
+39.5%
Housing Labor
1.0x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2008 Price | 2019 Price | Change | Hours 2008 | Hours 2019 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.99 | $1.40 | -30% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.37 | $1.30 | -5% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.80 | $3.04 | -20% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $3.27 | $2.64 | -19% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $2.34 | $3.81 | +62% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.21 | $1.50 | +24% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.66 | $5.61 | +53% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $4.21 | $4.81 | +14% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $9.45 | $12.06 | +28% | 0.4h | 0.4h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.12 | $0.14 | +11% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $6,185 | $9,349 | +51% | 255.8h | 283.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $27,291 | $38,723 | +42% | 1128.5h | 1172.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $766 | $1,043 | +36% | 31.7h | 31.6h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $96.75 | $81.15 | -16% | 4.0h | 2.5h | Easier |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $7.07 | $8.72 | +23% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2008 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
255.8h → 283.1h
harder
1128.5h → 1172.4h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2008 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
4.0h → 2.5h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.4h → 0.4h
easier
31.7h → 31.6h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2008 ($50,300), you'd need $59,740 in 2019 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (215.3 → 255.7).