1988 vs 1990
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+10.0%
Median Home
+9.0%
Housing Labor
1.0x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 1990 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 1990 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $1.01 | +28% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $0.69 | +13% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $1.16 | +23% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $1.59 | +16% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $0.90 | +5% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $2.12 | +13% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $2.97 | +7% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $2.60 | +6% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.08 | +5% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $1,908 | +16% | 125.7h | 132.6h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $15,472 | +11% | 1064.2h | 1074.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $436 | +8% | 30.8h | 30.3h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $35.30 | +25% | 2.2h | 2.5h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 1990, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.2h → 2.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
125.7h → 132.6h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1064.2h → 1074.9h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 1990, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
30.8h → 30.3h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $30,081 in 1990 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 130.7).