1989 vs 2007
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+73.7%
Median Home
+103.4%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1989 Price | 2007 Price | Change | Hours 1989 | Hours 2007 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.68 | +68% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.67 | $1.21 | +81% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.02 | $2.80 | +174% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.44 | $2.30 | +60% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.93 | $1.12 | +20% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.77 | $3.66 | +107% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.07 | $3.47 | +13% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $3.95 | +52% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.12 | +43% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,780 | $5,943 | +234% | 128.1h | 246.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $14,371 | $27,026 | +88% | 1034.0h | 1119.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $418 | $739 | +77% | 30.1h | 30.6h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $30.94 | $83.31 | +169% | 2.2h | 3.4h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1989 to 2007, sorted by magnitude.
128.1h → 246.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.2h → 3.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1034.0h → 1119.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
30.1h → 30.6h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1989 to 2007, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1989 ($28,910), you'd need $48,364 in 2007 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (123.9 → 207.3).