1990 vs 2005
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+54.7%
Median Home
+93.4%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1990 Price | 2005 Price | Change | Hours 1990 | Hours 2005 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.01 | $1.22 | +20% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.69 | $1.04 | +50% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.16 | $2.30 | +97% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.59 | $2.30 | +45% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.06 | +17% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.12 | $3.39 | +60% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.97 | $3.26 | +10% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $3.74 | +44% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.10 | +20% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,908 | $5,351 | +180% | 132.6h | 240.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $15,472 | $25,164 | +63% | 1074.9h | 1129.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $436 | $685 | +57% | 30.3h | 30.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.30 | $68.19 | +93% | 2.5h | 3.1h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1990 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.
132.6h → 240.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.5h → 3.1h
harder
1074.9h → 1129.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
30.3h → 30.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1990 to 2005, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
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 $44,745 in 2005 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (130.7 → 195.3).