1989 vs 1991
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+4.2%
Median Home
-0.4%
Housing Labor
1.0x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1989 Price | 1991 Price | Change | Hours 1989 | Hours 1991 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $0.99 | -1% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.67 | $0.71 | +7% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.02 | $1.14 | +12% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.44 | $1.60 | +11% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.93 | $0.88 | -5% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.77 | $2.22 | +26% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.07 | $2.81 | -9% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $2.58 | -1% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +6% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,780 | $2,107 | +18% | 128.1h | 145.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $14,371 | $16,362 | +14% | 1034.0h | 1129.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $418 | $451 | +8% | 30.1h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $30.94 | $34.74 | +12% | 2.2h | 2.4h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1989 to 1991, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
128.1h → 145.5h
harder
1034.0h → 1129.5h
harder
2.2h → 2.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
30.1h → 31.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1989 to 1991, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1989 ($28,910), you'd need $31,762 in 1991 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (123.9 → 136.2).