1988 vs 1991
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+10.7%
Median Home
+6.9%
Housing Labor
1.0x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 1991 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 1991 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $0.99 | +25% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $0.71 | +16% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $1.14 | +20% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $1.60 | +17% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $0.88 | +3% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $2.22 | +18% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $2.81 | +1% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $2.58 | +5% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +8% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $2,107 | +28% | 125.7h | 145.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $16,362 | +17% | 1064.2h | 1129.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $451 | +12% | 30.8h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $34.74 | +23% | 2.2h | 2.4h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 1991, sorted by magnitude.
125.7h → 145.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.2h → 2.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1064.2h → 1129.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
30.8h → 31.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 1991, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $31,349 in 1991 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 136.2).