1987 vs 2023
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+209.3%
Median Home
+307.4%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1987 Price | 2023 Price | Change | Hours 1987 | Hours 2023 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.78 | $2.80 | +257% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.96 | +258% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $3.66 | +286% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.31 | $5.02 | +283% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.78 | $1.91 | +144% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.14 | $6.65 | +211% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.79 | $6.16 | +121% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $5.90 | +140% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.17 | +113% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,537 | $10,209 | +564% | 122.7h | 263.4h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,922 | $47,936 | +271% | 1031.4h | 1236.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $388 | $1,259 | +225% | 31.0h | 32.5h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.03 | $109 | +289% | 2.2h | 2.8h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1987 to 2023, sorted by magnitude.
122.7h → 263.4h
harder
2.2h → 2.8h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1031.4h → 1236.9h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
31.0h → 32.5h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1987 to 2023, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1987 ($26,060), you'd need $69,889 in 2023 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (113.6 → 304.7).