1989 vs 2006
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+66.7%
Median Home
+102.4%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1989 Price | 2006 Price | Change | Hours 1989 | Hours 2006 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.31 | +31% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.67 | $1.08 | +62% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.02 | $2.59 | +153% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.44 | $2.22 | +54% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.93 | $1.05 | +13% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.77 | $3.44 | +95% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.07 | $3.20 | +4% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $3.75 | +44% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.11 | +37% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,780 | $5,666 | +218% | 128.1h | 244.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $14,371 | $25,950 | +81% | 1034.0h | 1119.8h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $418 | $709 | +70% | 30.1h | 30.6h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $30.94 | $76.82 | +148% | 2.2h | 3.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1989 to 2006, sorted by magnitude.
128.1h → 244.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.2h → 3.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1034.0h → 1119.8h
harder
30.1h → 30.6h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1989 to 2006, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1989 ($28,910), you'd need $47,014 in 2006 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (123.9 → 201.6).