1987 vs 2003
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+66.2%
Median Home
+83.5%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1987 Price | 2003 Price | Change | Hours 1987 | Hours 2003 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.78 | $1.24 | +59% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.00 | +83% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $1.59 | +68% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.31 | $1.95 | +49% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.78 | $1.03 | +32% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.14 | $3.20 | +49% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.79 | $2.92 | +5% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $3.81 | +55% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +18% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,537 | $4,587 | +198% | 122.7h | 220.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,922 | $23,282 | +80% | 1031.4h | 1117.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $388 | $647 | +67% | 31.0h | 31.1h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.03 | $47.43 | +69% | 2.2h | 2.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1987 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
122.7h → 220.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
1031.4h → 1117.9h
harder
2.2h → 2.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
31.0h → 31.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1987 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1987 ($26,060), you'd need $42,204 in 2003 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (113.6 → 184.0).