1988 vs 1994
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+18.5%
Median Home
+16.2%
Housing Labor
1.0x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 1994 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 1994 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $0.86 | +9% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $0.76 | +24% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $1.11 | +18% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $1.48 | +8% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $0.90 | +6% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $1.99 | +6% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $3.40 | +23% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $2.63 | +7% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +15% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $2,681 | +63% | 125.7h | 172.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $18,657 | +34% | 1064.2h | 1202.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $485 | +20% | 30.8h | 31.3h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $34.37 | +22% | 2.2h | 2.2h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 1994, sorted by magnitude.
125.7h → 172.9h
harder
1064.2h → 1202.9h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
2.2h → 2.2h
harder
30.8h → 31.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 1994, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $34,125 in 1994 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 148.2).