1989 vs 1993
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+8.1%
Median Home
+5.0%
Housing Labor
1.0x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1989 Price | 1993 Price | Change | Hours 1989 | Hours 1993 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $0.91 | -9% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.67 | $0.75 | +13% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.02 | $1.11 | +8% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.44 | $1.57 | +9% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.93 | $0.89 | -4% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.77 | $1.93 | +9% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.07 | $2.47 | -20% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $2.53 | -3% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +12% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,780 | $2,537 | +43% | 128.1h | 168.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $14,371 | $17,677 | +23% | 1034.0h | 1177.0h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $418 | $474 | +13% | 30.1h | 31.5h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $30.94 | $34.24 | +11% | 2.2h | 2.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1989 to 1993, sorted by magnitude.
128.1h → 168.9h
harder
1034.0h → 1177.0h
harder
30.1h → 31.5h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
2.2h → 2.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1989 to 1993, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1989 ($28,910), you'd need $33,700 in 1993 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (123.9 → 144.5).