HarderToEarn.com

2016 vs 2022

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$59,040 $74,580

+26.3%

Median Home

$305,125 $432,950

+41.9%

Housing Labor

5.2yr 5.8yr

1.1x harder

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 2016 Price 2022 Price Change Hours 2016 Hours 2022 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $1.68 $2.86 +70% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🍞 Bread $1.37 $1.70 +24% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
🥛 Milk $3.20 $4.09 +28% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
⛽ Gas $2.14 $4.09 +91% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥩 Ground Beef $3.75 $4.81 +28% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🐔 Chicken $1.46 $1.80 +23% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥓 Bacon $5.42 $7.31 +35% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
☕ Coffee $4.39 $5.89 +34% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
🍊 Oranges $4.76 $5.43 +14% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
🍬 Sugar $12.33 $13.48 +9% 0.4h 0.4h Easier
⚡ Electricity $0.14 $0.16 +17% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
🎓 College Tuition $8,804 $9,750 +11% 310.2h 271.9h Easier
🚗 New Car $35,309 $48,008 +36% 1243.9h 1338.9h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $935 $1,166 +25% 32.9h 32.5h Easier
🏥 Doctor Visit $65.64 $121 +85% 2.3h 3.4h Harder
🎬 Movie Ticket $8.18 $9.67 +18% 0.3h 0.3h Easier

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 2016 to 2022, sorted by magnitude.

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

1.5x

harder

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.3h → 3.4h

1.5x

harder

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.1h

1.3x

harder

🚗
New Car

1243.9h → 1338.9h

1.1x

harder

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.2h

1.1x

harder

Coffee

0.2h → 0.2h

1.1x

harder

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

harder

🥛
Milk

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 2016 to 2022, sorted by magnitude.

🍬
Sugar

0.4h → 0.4h

0.9x

easier

🎓
College Tuition

310.2h → 271.9h

0.9x

easier

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

0.9x

easier

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

0.9x

easier

🎬
Movie Ticket

0.3h → 0.3h

0.9x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

easier

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.0h

1.0x

easier

🏠
Monthly Rent

32.9h → 32.5h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 2016 ($59,040), you'd need $71,984 in 2022 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (240.0 → 292.6).

Share on

🔗 Related Comparisons