1988 vs 2020
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+149.8%
Median Home
+192.4%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 2020 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 2020 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $1.51 | +91% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $1.45 | +137% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $2.17 | +130% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $4.12 | +202% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $1.56 | +83% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $5.58 | +196% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $4.43 | +60% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $4.92 | +100% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +69% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $9,349 | +468% | 125.7h | 285.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $40,107 | +188% | 1064.2h | 1226.6h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $1,076 | +167% | 30.8h | 32.9h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $68.24 | +141% | 2.2h | 2.1h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 2020, sorted by magnitude.
125.7h → 285.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1064.2h → 1226.6h
harder
30.8h → 32.9h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 2020, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
2.2h → 2.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $59,595 in 2020 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 258.9).