Interpretation:
The Consumer Price Index has risen steadily across all major cities since 1948.
- Cities like Sydney and Melbourne consistently show higher CPI levels.
- The steepest rise began post-2000, reflecting inflation in housing, transport, and food.
- Despite minor intercity variation, the overall inflation trend is nationwide and persistent.

Interpretation:
Median earnings have steadily increased across all major cities since the 1990s.
- Canberra and Sydney lead in earnings, followed by Darwin and Melbourne.
- The gap between top- and lower-earning cities has widened over the past decade.
- Hobart and Adelaide remain on the lower end, reflecting persistent regional disparities.

Purpose:
This interactive plot compares how earnings have kept pace with inflation (CPI), city by city. Scaling CPI helps visually align the two metrics to assess if wages grew proportionately with living costs.

Observation:
In cities like Sydney, earnings have generally outpaced CPI — indicating a net improvement in real income. Other cities may show tighter tracking between earnings and CPI, highlighting different cost-of-living pressures and wage dynamics.

Interpretation:
Earnings have consistently increased across all cities — but the growth pace varies.
Cities like Canberra, Perth, and Melbourne show the brightest yellow in recent years, indicating the highest average earnings, while Adelaide and Hobart remain comparatively lower throughout the timeline.

Interpretation:
Over the last 40+ years, food prices in Australian cities have surged by 375% to 452%.
- Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney show the highest increases.
- Even cities like Darwin saw food prices nearly quadruple.
- This steep rise in essentials explains why many Australians feel their pay isn’t keeping up.