1986 vs 1990
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+20.2%
Median Home
+32.9%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 1990 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 1990 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $1.01 | +17% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $0.69 | +23% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $1.16 | +26% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $1.59 | +29% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $0.90 | +8% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $2.12 | +2% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $2.97 | -14% | 0.3h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $2.60 | +10% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.08 | +9% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $1,908 | +35% | 118.1h | 132.6h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $15,472 | +26% | 1029.1h | 1074.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $436 | +17% | 31.1h | 30.3h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $35.30 | +31% | 2.3h | 2.5h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 1990, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 132.6h
harder
2.3h → 2.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1029.1h → 1074.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 1990, sorted by magnitude.
0.3h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
31.1h → 30.3h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1986 ($24,900), you'd need $29,659 in 1990 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 130.7).