2009 vs 2023
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+61.9%
Median Home
+97.8%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2009 Price | 2023 Price | Change | Hours 2009 | Hours 2023 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.66 | $2.80 | +68% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.39 | $1.96 | +41% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.11 | $4.03 | +30% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $2.35 | $3.66 | +56% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $2.22 | $5.02 | +126% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.28 | $1.91 | +50% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $3.61 | $6.65 | +84% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.67 | $6.16 | +68% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $4.32 | $5.90 | +37% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $10.07 | $13.40 | +33% | 0.4h | 0.3h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.13 | $0.17 | +32% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $6,695 | $10,209 | +52% | 279.7h | 263.4h | Easier |
| 🚗 New Car | $28,400 | $47,936 | +69% | 1186.7h | 1236.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $784 | $1,259 | +61% | 32.7h | 32.5h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $70.76 | $109 | +54% | 3.0h | 2.8h | Easier |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $7.18 | $10.23 | +42% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2009 to 2023, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
1186.7h → 1236.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2009 to 2023, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.4h → 0.3h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
279.7h → 263.4h
easier
3.0h → 2.8h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
32.7h → 32.5h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2009 ($49,780), you'd need $70,693 in 2023 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (214.6 → 304.7).