HarderToEarn.com

1987 vs 1990

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$26,060 $29,940

+14.9%

Median Home

$104,700 $122,300

+16.8%

Housing Labor

4.0yr 4.1yr

1.0x harder

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 1987 Price 1990 Price Change Hours 1987 Hours 1990 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $0.78 $1.01 +30% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🍞 Bread $0.55 $0.69 +27% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
⛽ Gas $0.95 $1.16 +23% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥩 Ground Beef $1.31 $1.59 +21% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🐔 Chicken $0.78 $0.90 +15% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥓 Bacon $2.14 $2.12 -1% 0.2h 0.1h Easier
☕ Coffee $2.79 $2.97 +7% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
🍊 Oranges $2.46 $2.60 +6% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
⚡ Electricity $0.08 $0.08 +6% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
🎓 College Tuition $1,537 $1,908 +24% 122.7h 132.6h Harder
🚗 New Car $12,922 $15,472 +20% 1031.4h 1074.9h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $388 $436 +12% 31.0h 30.3h Easier
🏥 Doctor Visit $28.03 $35.30 +26% 2.2h 2.5h Harder

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 1987 to 1990, sorted by magnitude.

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.0h

1.1x

harder

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.2h → 2.5h

1.1x

harder

🎓
College Tuition

122.7h → 132.6h

1.1x

harder

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🚗
New Car

1031.4h → 1074.9h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 1987 to 1990, sorted by magnitude.

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

0.9x

easier

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

0.9x

easier

Coffee

0.2h → 0.2h

0.9x

easier

🏠
Monthly Rent

31.0h → 30.3h

1.0x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 1987 ($26,060), you'd need $29,969 in 1990 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (113.6 → 130.7).

Share on

🔗 Related Comparisons