1987 vs 2017
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+134.6%
Median Home
+208.0%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1987 Price | 2017 Price | Change | Hours 1987 | Hours 2017 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.78 | $1.47 | +87% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.33 | +143% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $2.41 | +154% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.31 | $3.64 | +178% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.78 | $1.47 | +88% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.14 | $5.77 | +169% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.79 | $4.45 | +60% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $4.69 | +91% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +74% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,537 | $9,037 | +488% | 122.7h | 307.4h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,922 | $36,113 | +179% | 1031.4h | 1228.6h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $388 | $971 | +150% | 31.0h | 33.0h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.03 | $74.24 | +165% | 2.2h | 2.5h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1987 to 2017, sorted by magnitude.
122.7h → 307.4h
harder
1031.4h → 1228.6h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
2.2h → 2.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
31.0h → 33.0h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1987 to 2017, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 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 $56,223 in 2017 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (113.6 → 245.1).