1988 vs 2001
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+55.1%
Median Home
+54.2%
Housing Labor
1.0x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 2001 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 2001 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $0.93 | +18% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $1.00 | +63% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $1.46 | +54% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $1.71 | +26% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $1.11 | +29% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $3.25 | +73% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $3.09 | +12% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $3.70 | +50% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +15% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $3,735 | +127% | 125.7h | 184.0h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $22,457 | +61% | 1064.2h | 1106.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $605 | +50% | 30.8h | 29.8h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $43.32 | +53% | 2.2h | 2.1h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 2001, sorted by magnitude.
125.7h → 184.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
1064.2h → 1106.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 2001, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
30.8h → 29.8h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
2.2h → 2.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $40,760 in 2001 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 177.0).