HarderToEarn.com

1987 vs 1994

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$26,060 $32,260

+23.8%

Median Home

$104,700 $130,425

+24.6%

Housing Labor

4.0yr 4.0yr

1.0x harder

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 1987 Price 1994 Price Change Hours 1987 Hours 1994 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $0.78 $0.86 +10% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🍞 Bread $0.55 $0.76 +39% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
⛽ Gas $0.95 $1.11 +17% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥩 Ground Beef $1.31 $1.48 +13% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🐔 Chicken $0.78 $0.90 +15% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥓 Bacon $2.14 $1.99 -7% 0.2h 0.1h Easier
☕ Coffee $2.79 $3.40 +22% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
🍊 Oranges $2.46 $2.63 +7% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
⚡ Electricity $0.08 $0.09 +16% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
🎓 College Tuition $1,537 $2,681 +74% 122.7h 172.9h Harder
🚗 New Car $12,922 $18,657 +44% 1031.4h 1202.9h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $388 $485 +25% 31.0h 31.3h Harder
🏥 Doctor Visit $28.03 $34.37 +23% 2.2h 2.2h Easier

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 1987 to 1994, sorted by magnitude.

🎓
College Tuition

122.7h → 172.9h

1.4x

harder

🚗
New Car

1031.4h → 1202.9h

1.2x

harder

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.0h

1.1x

harder

🏠
Monthly Rent

31.0h → 31.3h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 1987 to 1994, sorted by magnitude.

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.1h

0.8x

easier

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

0.9x

easier

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

0.9x

easier

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

Coffee

0.2h → 0.2h

1.0x

easier

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.2h → 2.2h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 1987 ($26,060), you'd need $33,998 in 1994 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (113.6 → 148.2).

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