1990 vs 2006
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+61.0%
Median Home
+99.3%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1990 Price | 2006 Price | Change | Hours 1990 | Hours 2006 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.01 | $1.31 | +29% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.69 | $1.08 | +56% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.16 | $2.59 | +122% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.59 | $2.22 | +40% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.05 | +17% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.12 | $3.44 | +62% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.97 | $3.20 | +8% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $3.75 | +44% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.11 | +34% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,908 | $5,666 | +197% | 132.6h | 244.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $15,472 | $25,950 | +68% | 1074.9h | 1119.8h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $436 | $709 | +63% | 30.3h | 30.6h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.30 | $76.82 | +118% | 2.5h | 3.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1990 to 2006, sorted by magnitude.
132.6h → 244.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.5h → 3.3h
harder
1074.9h → 1119.8h
harder
30.3h → 30.6h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1990 to 2006, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1990 ($29,940), you'd need $46,187 in 2006 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (130.7 → 201.6).