1988 vs 2005
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+70.1%
Median Home
+110.8%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 2005 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 2005 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $1.22 | +54% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $1.04 | +70% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $2.30 | +143% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $2.30 | +68% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $1.06 | +24% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $3.39 | +80% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $3.26 | +18% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $3.74 | +52% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.10 | +25% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $5,351 | +225% | 125.7h | 240.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $25,164 | +81% | 1064.2h | 1129.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $685 | +70% | 30.8h | 30.7h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $68.19 | +141% | 2.2h | 3.1h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.
125.7h → 240.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.2h → 3.1h
harder
1064.2h → 1129.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
30.8h → 30.7h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $44,955 in 2005 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 195.3).