1990 vs 2008
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+68.0%
Median Home
+87.7%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1990 Price | 2008 Price | Change | Hours 1990 | Hours 2008 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.01 | $1.99 | +96% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.69 | $1.37 | +97% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.16 | $3.27 | +181% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.59 | $2.34 | +48% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.21 | +34% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.12 | $3.66 | +72% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $4.21 | +62% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.12 | +47% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,908 | $6,185 | +224% | 132.6h | 255.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $15,472 | $27,291 | +76% | 1074.9h | 1128.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $436 | $766 | +76% | 30.3h | 31.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.30 | $96.75 | +174% | 2.5h | 4.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1990 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
132.6h → 255.8h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.5h → 4.0h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1074.9h → 1128.5h
harder
30.3h → 31.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1990 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1990 ($29,940), you'd need $49,325 in 2008 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (130.7 → 215.3).