1987 vs 2020
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+161.0%
Median Home
+213.4%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1987 Price | 2020 Price | Change | Hours 1987 | Hours 2020 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.78 | $1.51 | +92% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.45 | +165% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $2.17 | +129% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.31 | $4.12 | +214% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.78 | $1.56 | +99% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.14 | $5.58 | +161% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.79 | $4.43 | +59% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $4.92 | +100% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +71% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,537 | $9,349 | +508% | 122.7h | 285.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,922 | $40,107 | +210% | 1031.4h | 1226.6h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $388 | $1,076 | +177% | 31.0h | 32.9h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.03 | $68.24 | +143% | 2.2h | 2.1h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1987 to 2020, sorted by magnitude.
122.7h → 285.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1031.4h → 1226.6h
harder
31.0h → 32.9h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1987 to 2020, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
2.2h → 2.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1987 ($26,060), you'd need $59,373 in 2020 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (113.6 → 258.9).