1988 vs 1989
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+6.2%
Median Home
+7.3%
Housing Labor
1.0x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 1989 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 1989 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $1.00 | +26% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $0.67 | +9% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $1.02 | +8% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $1.44 | +6% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $0.93 | +9% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $1.77 | -6% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $3.07 | +11% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $2.60 | +6% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.08 | +2% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $1,780 | +8% | 125.7h | 128.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $14,371 | +3% | 1064.2h | 1034.0h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $418 | +4% | 30.8h | 30.1h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $30.94 | +9% | 2.2h | 2.2h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 1989, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
2.2h → 2.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
125.7h → 128.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 1989, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
1064.2h → 1034.0h
easier
30.8h → 30.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $28,535 in 1989 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 123.9).