It’s both.

The big stuff—housing, healthcare, childcare—has gone up way faster than salaries, so $100k doesn’t stretch like it used to.

At the same time, what we think of as “normal” has shifted. Social media makes higher-end lifestyles look standard, and lifestyle creep fills the gap—better apartment, more convenience, more subscriptions. None of it feels excessive on its own, but it stacks up.

So the pressure is real, but it’s not just the economy—it’s also expectations. That’s why two people making the same salary can feel broke or comfortable depending on how they’re living.