2012 vs 2016
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+15.7%
Median Home
+24.8%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2012 Price | 2016 Price | Change | Hours 2012 | Hours 2016 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.84 | $1.68 | -8% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.42 | $1.37 | -3% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.49 | $3.20 | -8% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $3.64 | $2.14 | -41% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $3.03 | $3.75 | +24% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.42 | $1.46 | +3% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $4.56 | $5.42 | +19% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $5.68 | $4.39 | -23% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $5.04 | $4.76 | -6% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $10.28 | $12.33 | +20% | 0.4h | 0.4h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.13 | $0.14 | +4% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $8,070 | $8,804 | +9% | 329.0h | 310.2h | Easier |
| 🚗 New Car | $31,252 | $35,309 | +13% | 1274.1h | 1243.9h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $820 | $935 | +14% | 33.4h | 32.9h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $109 | $65.64 | -40% | 4.4h | 2.3h | Easier |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $7.51 | $8.18 | +9% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 2012 to 2016, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.4h → 0.4h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2012 to 2016, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
4.4h → 2.3h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
329.0h → 310.2h
easier
1274.1h → 1243.9h
easier
33.4h → 32.9h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2012 ($51,020), you'd need $53,335 in 2016 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (229.6 → 240.0).