1988 vs 2013
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+96.8%
Median Home
+137.2%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 2013 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 2013 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $1.91 | +142% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $1.41 | +130% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $3.53 | +273% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $3.40 | +149% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $1.50 | +75% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $5.29 | +181% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $5.45 | +97% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $4.99 | +103% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.13 | +65% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $8,312 | +405% | 125.7h | 322.6h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $32,086 | +130% | 1064.2h | 1245.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $843 | +109% | 30.8h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $106 | +274% | 2.2h | 4.1h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 2013, sorted by magnitude.
125.7h → 322.6h
harder
2.2h → 4.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1064.2h → 1245.4h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
30.8h → 32.7h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 2013, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $53,632 in 2013 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 233.0).