1988 vs 2009
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+82.8%
Median Home
+92.2%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 2009 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 2009 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $1.66 | +111% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $1.39 | +126% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $2.35 | +148% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $2.22 | +63% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $1.28 | +50% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $3.61 | +92% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $3.67 | +33% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $4.32 | +76% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.13 | +59% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $6,695 | +307% | 125.7h | 279.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $28,400 | +104% | 1064.2h | 1186.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $784 | +95% | 30.8h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $70.76 | +150% | 2.2h | 3.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
125.7h → 279.7h
harder
2.2h → 3.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1064.2h → 1186.7h
harder
30.8h → 32.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $49,398 in 2009 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 214.6).