1988 vs 1999
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+49.5%
Median Home
+42.7%
Housing Labor
1.0x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 1999 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 1999 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $0.96 | +22% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $0.89 | +45% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $1.17 | +23% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $1.45 | +6% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $1.06 | +24% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $2.55 | +35% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $3.43 | +24% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $3.30 | +34% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +8% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $3,356 | +104% | 125.7h | 171.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $21,092 | +51% | 1064.2h | 1077.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $559 | +39% | 30.8h | 28.6h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $35.05 | +24% | 2.2h | 1.8h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 1999, sorted by magnitude.
125.7h → 171.5h
harder
1064.2h → 1077.9h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 1999, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
2.2h → 1.8h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
30.8h → 28.6h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $38,352 in 1999 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 166.6).