HarderToEarn.com

2017 vs 2023

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$61,140 $80,610

+31.8%

Median Home

$322,425 $426,525

+32.3%

Housing Labor

5.3yr 5.3yr

1.0x harder

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 2017 Price 2023 Price Change Hours 2017 Hours 2023 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $1.47 $2.80 +91% 0.0h 0.1h Harder
🍞 Bread $1.33 $1.96 +47% 0.0h 0.1h Harder
🥛 Milk $3.23 $4.03 +25% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
⛽ Gas $2.41 $3.66 +52% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥩 Ground Beef $3.64 $5.02 +38% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🐔 Chicken $1.47 $1.91 +30% 0.1h 0.0h Easier
🥓 Bacon $5.77 $6.65 +15% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
☕ Coffee $4.45 $6.16 +38% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
🍊 Oranges $4.69 $5.90 +26% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
🍬 Sugar $12.66 $13.40 +6% 0.4h 0.3h Easier
⚡ Electricity $0.14 $0.17 +22% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
🎓 College Tuition $9,037 $10,209 +13% 307.4h 263.4h Easier
🚗 New Car $36,113 $47,936 +33% 1228.6h 1236.9h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $971 $1,259 +30% 33.0h 32.5h Easier
🏥 Doctor Visit $74.24 $109 +47% 2.5h 2.8h Harder
🎬 Movie Ticket $8.40 $10.23 +22% 0.3h 0.3h Easier

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 2017 to 2023, sorted by magnitude.

🥚
Eggs

0.0h → 0.1h

1.4x

harder

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

1.2x

harder

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.5h → 2.8h

1.1x

harder

Coffee

0.2h → 0.2h

1.0x

harder

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

harder

🚗
New Car

1228.6h → 1236.9h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 2017 to 2023, sorted by magnitude.

🍬
Sugar

0.4h → 0.3h

0.8x

easier

🎓
College Tuition

307.4h → 263.4h

0.9x

easier

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.2h

0.9x

easier

🎬
Movie Ticket

0.3h → 0.3h

0.9x

easier

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

0.9x

easier

🥛
Milk

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

1.0x

easier

🏠
Monthly Rent

33.0h → 32.5h

1.0x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.0h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 2017 ($61,140), you'd need $76,002 in 2023 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (245.1 → 304.7).

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