1989 vs 2002
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+46.7%
Median Home
+54.5%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1989 Price | 2002 Price | Change | Hours 1989 | Hours 2002 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.03 | +3% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.67 | $1.02 | +53% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.02 | $1.36 | +33% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.44 | $1.71 | +19% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.93 | $1.07 | +16% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.77 | $3.24 | +83% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.07 | $2.92 | -5% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $3.73 | +44% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +11% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,780 | $4,081 | +129% | 128.1h | 200.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $14,371 | $22,871 | +59% | 1034.0h | 1121.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $418 | $629 | +50% | 30.1h | 30.8h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $30.94 | $40.59 | +31% | 2.2h | 2.0h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1989 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
128.1h → 200.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1034.0h → 1121.7h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
30.1h → 30.8h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1989 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
2.2h → 2.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1989 ($28,910), you'd need $41,955 in 2002 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (123.9 → 179.9).