1987 vs 2015
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+116.9%
Median Home
+180.9%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1987 Price | 2015 Price | Change | Hours 1987 | Hours 2015 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.78 | $2.47 | +216% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.44 | +163% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $2.45 | +158% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.31 | $4.17 | +218% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.78 | $1.49 | +90% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.14 | $5.45 | +155% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.79 | $4.72 | +69% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $4.74 | +93% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +75% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,537 | $8,778 | +471% | 122.7h | 323.0h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,922 | $34,428 | +166% | 1031.4h | 1267.0h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $388 | $901 | +132% | 31.0h | 33.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.03 | $74.01 | +164% | 2.2h | 2.7h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1987 to 2015, sorted by magnitude.
122.7h → 323.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1031.4h → 1267.0h
harder
2.2h → 2.7h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
31.0h → 33.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1987 to 2015, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1987 ($26,060), you'd need $54,361 in 2015 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (113.6 → 237.0).