The costs probably went up for the same reason healthcare, education, and rent/housing* costs have gone up relative to inflation: they have not been able to tak

The costs probably went up for the same reason healthcare, education, and rent/housing* costs have gone up relative to inflation: they have not been able to take significant advantage of automation and outsourcing like most everything else has. It's one of the high-hanging fruits of automation and outsourcing. (I'm not putting a general value judgment on overseas outsourcing here, only saying that it lowered prices.) * You can't make land in a factory, barring a collision with Mars.