1989 vs 2003
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+49.8%
Median Home
+59.5%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1989 Price | 2003 Price | Change | Hours 1989 | Hours 2003 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.24 | +25% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.67 | $1.00 | +50% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.02 | $1.59 | +56% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.44 | $1.95 | +35% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.93 | $1.03 | +12% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.77 | $3.20 | +81% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.07 | $2.92 | -5% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $3.81 | +46% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +13% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,780 | $4,587 | +158% | 128.1h | 220.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $14,371 | $23,282 | +62% | 1034.0h | 1117.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $418 | $647 | +55% | 30.1h | 31.1h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $30.94 | $47.43 | +53% | 2.2h | 2.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1989 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
128.1h → 220.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1034.0h → 1117.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
30.1h → 31.1h
harder
2.2h → 2.3h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1989 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
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 $42,919 in 2003 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (123.9 → 184.0).