1988 vs 2022
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+173.9%
Median Home
+285.8%
Housing Labor
1.4x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1988 Price | 2022 Price | Change | Hours 1988 | Hours 2022 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.79 | $2.86 | +262% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.61 | $1.70 | +177% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $4.09 | +333% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.36 | $4.81 | +252% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.85 | $1.80 | +111% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.88 | $7.31 | +288% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.77 | $5.89 | +113% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $5.43 | +121% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.16 | +98% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,646 | $9,750 | +492% | 125.7h | 271.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $13,932 | $48,008 | +245% | 1064.2h | 1338.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $403 | $1,166 | +190% | 30.8h | 32.5h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.27 | $121 | +329% | 2.2h | 3.4h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1988 to 2022, sorted by magnitude.
125.7h → 271.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.2h → 3.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1064.2h → 1338.9h
harder
30.8h → 32.5h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1988 to 2022, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1988 ($27,230), you'd need $67,370 in 2022 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (118.3 → 292.6).