2012 vs 2018
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+23.8%
Median Home
+33.1%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 2012 Price | 2018 Price | Change | Hours 2012 | Hours 2018 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.84 | $1.74 | -5% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $1.42 | $1.29 | -9% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥛 Milk | $3.49 | $2.90 | -17% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $3.64 | $2.74 | -25% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $3.03 | $3.72 | +23% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $1.42 | $1.50 | +5% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $4.56 | $5.47 | +20% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $5.68 | $4.30 | -24% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $5.04 | $4.74 | -6% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍬 Sugar | $10.28 | $12.46 | +21% | 0.4h | 0.4h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.13 | $0.14 | +5% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $8,070 | $9,212 | +14% | 329.0h | 303.3h | Easier |
| 🚗 New Car | $31,252 | $37,577 | +20% | 1274.1h | 1237.1h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $820 | $1,006 | +23% | 33.4h | 33.1h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $109 | $84.16 | -23% | 4.4h | 2.8h | Easier |
| 🎬 Movie Ticket | $7.51 | $8.57 | +14% | 0.3h | 0.3h | Easier |
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 2012 to 2018, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
4.4h → 2.8h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.3h → 0.3h
easier
329.0h → 303.3h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
1274.1h → 1237.1h
easier
0.4h → 0.4h
easier
33.4h → 33.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 2012 ($51,020), you'd need $55,801 in 2018 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (229.6 → 251.1).