1990 vs 2002
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+41.6%
Median Home
+52.1%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1990 Price | 2002 Price | Change | Hours 1990 | Hours 2002 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.01 | $1.03 | +2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.69 | $1.02 | +46% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.16 | $1.36 | +17% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.59 | $1.71 | +8% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.07 | +19% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.12 | $3.24 | +52% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.97 | $2.92 | -1% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $3.73 | +43% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +9% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,908 | $4,081 | +114% | 132.6h | 200.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $15,472 | $22,871 | +48% | 1074.9h | 1121.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $436 | $629 | +44% | 30.3h | 30.8h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.30 | $40.59 | +15% | 2.5h | 2.0h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1990 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
132.6h → 200.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1074.9h → 1121.7h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
30.3h → 30.8h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1990 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
2.5h → 2.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1990 ($29,940), you'd need $41,216 in 2002 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (130.7 → 179.9).