1988 vs 1995
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+25.2%
Median Home
+18.9%
Housing Labor
1.1x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 1995 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 1995 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $0.92 | +17% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $0.79 | +29% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $1.15 | +21% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $1.37 | +0% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $0.92 | +7% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $1.99 | +5% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $4.04 | +46% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $2.65 | +8% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +17% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $2,811 | +71% | 125.7h | 171.6h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $18,916 | +36% | 1064.2h | 1154.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $497 | +23% | 30.8h | 30.3h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $34.93 | +24% | 2.2h | 2.1h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 1995, sorted by magnitude.
125.7h → 171.6h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
1064.2h → 1154.5h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 1995, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
30.8h → 30.3h
easier
2.2h → 2.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $35,083 in 1995 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 152.4).