HarderToEarn.com

2019 vs 2021

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$68,700 $70,780

+3.0%

Median Home

$320,250 $383,000

+19.6%

Housing Labor

4.7yr 5.4yr

1.2x harder

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 2019 Price 2021 Price Change Hours 2019 Hours 2021 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $1.40 $1.67 +20% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
🍞 Bread $1.30 $1.52 +17% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
🥛 Milk $3.04 $3.54 +17% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
⛽ Gas $2.64 $3.05 +16% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥩 Ground Beef $3.81 $4.33 +14% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🐔 Chicken $1.50 $1.53 +2% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
🥓 Bacon $5.61 $6.64 +18% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
☕ Coffee $4.14 $4.71 +14% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🍊 Oranges $4.81 $4.89 +2% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🍬 Sugar $12.06 $13.19 +9% 0.4h 0.4h Harder
⚡ Electricity $0.14 $0.14 +3% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
🎓 College Tuition $9,349 $9,375 +0% 283.1h 275.5h Easier
🚗 New Car $38,723 $42,258 +9% 1172.4h 1241.8h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $1,043 $1,100 +5% 31.6h 32.3h Harder
🏥 Doctor Visit $81.15 $92.47 +14% 2.5h 2.7h Harder
🎬 Movie Ticket $8.72 $9.12 +5% 0.3h 0.3h Harder

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 2019 to 2021, sorted by magnitude.

🥚
Eggs

0.0h → 0.0h

1.2x

harder

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.2h

1.1x

harder

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.0h

1.1x

harder

🥛
Milk

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.5h → 2.7h

1.1x

harder

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

Coffee

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🍬
Sugar

0.4h → 0.4h

1.1x

harder

🚗
New Car

1172.4h → 1241.8h

1.1x

harder

🏠
Monthly Rent

31.6h → 32.3h

1.0x

harder

🎬
Movie Ticket

0.3h → 0.3h

1.0x

harder

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 2019 to 2021, sorted by magnitude.

🎓
College Tuition

283.1h → 275.5h

1.0x

easier

🍊
Oranges

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.0h → 0.0h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 2019 ($68,700), you'd need $72,816 in 2021 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (255.7 → 271.0).

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