1990 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+48.1%
Median Home
+78.4%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1990 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 1990 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.01 | $1.34 | +32% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.69 | $0.97 | +40% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.16 | $1.88 | +61% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.59 | $2.16 | +36% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.07 | +19% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.12 | $3.38 | +59% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.97 | $2.85 | -4% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $3.84 | +47% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +13% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,908 | $5,027 | +163% | 132.6h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $15,472 | $23,686 | +53% | 1074.9h | 1111.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $436 | $665 | +52% | 30.3h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.30 | $55.93 | +58% | 2.5h | 2.6h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1990 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
132.6h → 235.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
2.5h → 2.6h
harder
1074.9h → 1111.4h
harder
30.3h → 31.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1990 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1990 ($29,940), you'd need $43,288 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (130.7 → 188.9).