1987 vs 1988
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+4.5%
Median Home
+7.2%
Housing Labor
1.0x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1987 Price | 1988 Price | Change | Hours 1987 | Hours 1988 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.78 | $0.79 | +1% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $0.61 | +12% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $0.95 | -0% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.31 | $1.36 | +4% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.78 | $0.85 | +9% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.14 | $1.88 | -12% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.79 | $2.77 | -1% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $2.46 | +0% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.08 | +1% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,537 | $1,646 | +7% | 122.7h | 125.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,922 | $13,932 | +8% | 1031.4h | 1064.2h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $388 | $403 | +4% | 31.0h | 30.8h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.03 | $28.27 | +1% | 2.2h | 2.2h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1987 to 1988, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1031.4h → 1064.2h
harder
122.7h → 125.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1987 to 1988, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
2.2h → 2.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
31.0h → 30.8h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1987 ($26,060), you'd need $27,128 in 1988 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (113.6 → 118.3).