HarderToEarn.com

2016 vs 2023

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$59,040 $80,610

+36.5%

Median Home

$305,125 $426,525

+39.8%

Housing Labor

5.2yr 5.3yr

1.0x harder

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 2016 Price 2023 Price Change Hours 2016 Hours 2023 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $1.68 $2.80 +66% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🍞 Bread $1.37 $1.96 +43% 0.0h 0.1h Harder
🥛 Milk $3.20 $4.03 +26% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
⛽ Gas $2.14 $3.66 +71% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥩 Ground Beef $3.75 $5.02 +34% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🐔 Chicken $1.46 $1.91 +31% 0.1h 0.0h Easier
🥓 Bacon $5.42 $6.65 +23% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
☕ Coffee $4.39 $6.16 +40% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
🍊 Oranges $4.76 $5.90 +24% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
🍬 Sugar $12.33 $13.40 +9% 0.4h 0.3h Easier
⚡ Electricity $0.14 $0.17 +24% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
🎓 College Tuition $8,804 $10,209 +16% 310.2h 263.4h Easier
🚗 New Car $35,309 $47,936 +36% 1243.9h 1236.9h Easier
🏠 Monthly Rent $935 $1,259 +35% 32.9h 32.5h Easier
🏥 Doctor Visit $65.64 $109 +66% 2.3h 2.8h Harder
🎬 Movie Ticket $8.18 $10.23 +25% 0.3h 0.3h Easier

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 2016 to 2023, sorted by magnitude.

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

1.3x

harder

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.3h → 2.8h

1.2x

harder

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.1h

1.2x

harder

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.1h

1.0x

harder

Coffee

0.2h → 0.2h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 2016 to 2023, sorted by magnitude.

🍬
Sugar

0.4h → 0.3h

0.8x

easier

🎓
College Tuition

310.2h → 263.4h

0.8x

easier

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.2h

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

🥛
Milk

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.0h

1.0x

easier

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

easier

🏠
Monthly Rent

32.9h → 32.5h

1.0x

easier

🚗
New Car

1243.9h → 1236.9h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 2016 ($59,040), you'd need $74,956 in 2023 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (240.0 → 304.7).

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