1988 vs 1996
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+30.3%
Median Home
+25.0%
Housing Labor
1.0x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 1996 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 1996 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $1.11 | +40% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $0.88 | +43% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $1.23 | +30% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $1.37 | +0% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $0.97 | +14% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $2.47 | +31% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $3.43 | +24% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $2.86 | +16% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +18% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $2,975 | +81% | 125.7h | 174.4h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $19,828 | +42% | 1064.2h | 1162.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $510 | +27% | 30.8h | 29.9h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $37.05 | +31% | 2.2h | 2.2h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 1996, sorted by magnitude.
125.7h → 174.4h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
1064.2h → 1162.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.2h → 2.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 1996, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
30.8h → 29.9h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $36,113 in 1996 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 156.9).