1990 vs 2003
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+44.7%
Median Home
+57.1%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1990 Price | 2003 Price | Change | Hours 1990 | Hours 2003 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.01 | $1.24 | +23% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.69 | $1.00 | +44% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.16 | $1.59 | +37% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.59 | $1.95 | +23% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.03 | +15% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.12 | $3.20 | +51% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.97 | $2.92 | -2% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $3.81 | +46% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +11% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,908 | $4,587 | +140% | 132.6h | 220.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $15,472 | $23,282 | +50% | 1074.9h | 1117.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $436 | $647 | +48% | 30.3h | 31.1h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.30 | $47.43 | +34% | 2.5h | 2.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1990 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
132.6h → 220.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1074.9h → 1117.9h
harder
30.3h → 31.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1990 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
2.5h → 2.3h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1990 ($29,940), you'd need $42,163 in 2003 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (130.7 → 184.0).