1989 vs 1999
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+40.8%
Median Home
+33.0%
Housing Labor
1.1x easier
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1989 Price | 1999 Price | Change | Hours 1989 | Hours 1999 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $0.96 | -4% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.67 | $0.89 | +33% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.02 | $1.17 | +14% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.44 | $1.45 | +1% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.93 | $1.06 | +14% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.77 | $2.55 | +44% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.07 | $3.43 | +12% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $3.30 | +27% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +5% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,780 | $3,356 | +89% | 128.1h | 171.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $14,371 | $21,092 | +47% | 1034.0h | 1077.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $418 | $559 | +34% | 30.1h | 28.6h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $30.94 | $35.05 | +13% | 2.2h | 1.8h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1989 to 1999, sorted by magnitude.
128.1h → 171.5h
harder
1034.0h → 1077.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1989 to 1999, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
2.2h → 1.8h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
30.1h → 28.6h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1989 ($28,910), you'd need $38,856 in 1999 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (123.9 → 166.6).