1988 vs 1998
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+42.8%
Median Home
+35.4%
Housing Labor
1.1x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 1998 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 1998 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $1.04 | +31% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $0.86 | +40% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $1.06 | +12% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $1.41 | +3% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $1.04 | +22% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $2.54 | +35% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $3.77 | +36% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $3.13 | +27% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +9% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $3,229 | +96% | 125.7h | 172.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $20,686 | +48% | 1064.2h | 1106.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $542 | +35% | 30.8h | 29.0h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $32.08 | +13% | 2.2h | 1.7h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 1998, sorted by magnitude.
125.7h → 172.7h
harder
1064.2h → 1106.4h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 1998, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
2.2h → 1.7h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
30.8h → 29.0h
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 $37,529 in 1998 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 163.0).