1987 vs 2008
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+93.0%
Median Home
+119.2%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1987 Price | 2008 Price | Change | Hours 1987 | Hours 2008 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.78 | $1.99 | +154% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.37 | +150% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $3.27 | +244% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.31 | $2.34 | +79% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.78 | $1.21 | +54% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.14 | $3.66 | +71% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $4.21 | +71% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.12 | +56% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,537 | $6,185 | +302% | 122.7h | 255.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,922 | $27,291 | +111% | 1031.4h | 1128.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $388 | $766 | +98% | 31.0h | 31.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.03 | $96.75 | +245% | 2.2h | 4.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1987 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
122.7h → 255.8h
harder
2.2h → 4.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
1031.4h → 1128.5h
harder
31.0h → 31.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1987 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
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 $49,372 in 2008 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (113.6 → 215.3).