1988 vs 1992
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
$27,230
→
$30,640
+12.5%
Median Home
$112,225
→
$121,375
+8.2%
Housing Labor
4.1yr
→
4.0yr
1.0x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 1992 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 1992 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $0.86 | +9% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $0.75 | +22% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $1.13 | +19% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $1.54 | +13% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $0.87 | +2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $1.92 | +2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $2.58 | -7% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $2.58 | +5% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +10% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $2,349 | +43% | 125.7h | 159.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $17,109 | +23% | 1064.2h | 1161.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $463 | +15% | 30.8h | 31.4h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $34.64 | +23% | 2.2h | 2.4h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 1992, sorted by magnitude.
🎓
College Tuition
125.7h → 159.5h
1.3x
harder
🚗
New Car
1064.2h → 1161.4h
1.1x
harder
🏥
Doctor Visit
2.2h → 2.4h
1.1x
harder
🍞
Bread
0.0h → 0.1h
1.1x
harder
⛽
Gas
0.1h → 0.1h
1.1x
harder
🏠
Monthly Rent
30.8h → 31.4h
1.0x
harder
🥩
Ground Beef
0.1h → 0.1h
1.0x
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 1992, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $32,303 in 1992 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 140.3).