HarderToEarn.com

1990 vs 1992

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$29,940 $30,640

+2.3%

Median Home

$122,300 $121,375

-0.8%

Housing Labor

4.1yr 4.0yr

1.0x easier

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 1990 Price 1992 Price Change Hours 1990 Hours 1992 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $1.01 $0.86 -15% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🍞 Bread $0.69 $0.75 +8% 0.0h 0.1h Harder
⛽ Gas $1.16 $1.13 -3% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥩 Ground Beef $1.59 $1.54 -3% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🐔 Chicken $0.90 $0.87 -3% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥓 Bacon $2.12 $1.92 -10% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
☕ Coffee $2.97 $2.58 -13% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
🍊 Oranges $2.60 $2.58 -1% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
⚡ Electricity $0.08 $0.09 +5% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
🎓 College Tuition $1,908 $2,349 +23% 132.6h 159.5h Harder
🚗 New Car $15,472 $17,109 +11% 1074.9h 1161.4h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $436 $463 +6% 30.3h 31.4h Harder
🏥 Doctor Visit $35.30 $34.64 -2% 2.5h 2.4h Easier

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 1990 to 1992, sorted by magnitude.

🎓
College Tuition

132.6h → 159.5h

1.2x

harder

🚗
New Car

1074.9h → 1161.4h

1.1x

harder

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🏠
Monthly Rent

30.3h → 31.4h

1.0x

harder

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 1990 to 1992, sorted by magnitude.

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.1h

0.8x

easier

Coffee

0.2h → 0.2h

0.8x

easier

🥓
Bacon

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.5h → 2.4h

1.0x

easier

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 1990 ($29,940), you'd need $32,151 in 1992 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (130.7 → 140.3).

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