1989 vs 1994
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+11.6%
Median Home
+8.3%
Housing Labor
1.0x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1989 Price | 1994 Price | Change | Hours 1989 | Hours 1994 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $0.86 | -14% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.67 | $0.76 | +14% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.02 | $1.11 | +9% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.44 | $1.48 | +3% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.93 | $0.90 | -3% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.77 | $1.99 | +13% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.07 | $3.40 | +11% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $2.63 | +1% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +12% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,780 | $2,681 | +51% | 128.1h | 172.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $14,371 | $18,657 | +30% | 1034.0h | 1202.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $418 | $485 | +16% | 30.1h | 31.3h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $30.94 | $34.37 | +11% | 2.2h | 2.2h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1989 to 1994, sorted by magnitude.
128.1h → 172.9h
harder
1034.0h → 1202.9h
harder
30.1h → 31.3h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1989 to 1994, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
2.2h → 2.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1989 ($28,910), you'd need $34,574 in 1994 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (123.9 → 148.2).