1989 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+53.3%
Median Home
+81.2%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1989 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 1989 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.34 | +34% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.67 | $0.97 | +46% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.02 | $1.88 | +84% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.44 | $2.16 | +50% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.93 | $1.07 | +15% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.77 | $3.38 | +91% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.07 | $2.85 | -7% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $3.84 | +48% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +15% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,780 | $5,027 | +182% | 128.1h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $14,371 | $23,686 | +65% | 1034.0h | 1111.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $418 | $665 | +59% | 30.1h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $30.94 | $55.93 | +81% | 2.2h | 2.6h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1989 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
128.1h → 235.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.2h → 2.6h
harder
1034.0h → 1111.4h
harder
30.1h → 31.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1989 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1989 ($28,910), you'd need $44,064 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (123.9 → 188.9).