HarderToEarn.com

1990 vs 2013

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$29,940 $53,590

+79.0%

Median Home

$122,300 $266,225

+117.7%

Housing Labor

4.1yr 5.0yr

1.2x harder

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 1990 Price 2013 Price Change Hours 1990 Hours 2013 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $1.01 $1.91 +88% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🍞 Bread $0.69 $1.41 +103% 0.0h 0.1h Harder
⛽ Gas $1.16 $3.53 +203% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥩 Ground Beef $1.59 $3.40 +114% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🐔 Chicken $0.90 $1.50 +66% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥓 Bacon $2.12 $5.29 +149% 0.1h 0.2h Harder
☕ Coffee $2.97 $5.45 +84% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
🍊 Oranges $2.60 $4.99 +92% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
⚡ Electricity $0.08 $0.13 +58% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
🎓 College Tuition $1,908 $8,312 +336% 132.6h 322.6h Harder
🚗 New Car $15,472 $32,086 +107% 1074.9h 1245.4h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $436 $843 +93% 30.3h 32.7h Harder
🏥 Doctor Visit $35.30 $106 +200% 2.5h 4.1h Harder

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 1990 to 2013, sorted by magnitude.

🎓
College Tuition

132.6h → 322.6h

2.4x

harder

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

1.7x

harder

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.5h → 4.1h

1.7x

harder

🥓
Bacon

0.1h → 0.2h

1.4x

harder

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

1.2x

harder

🚗
New Car

1074.9h → 1245.4h

1.2x

harder

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

🏠
Monthly Rent

30.3h → 32.7h

1.1x

harder

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

1.1x

harder

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.1h

1.1x

harder

Coffee

0.2h → 0.2h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 1990 to 2013, sorted by magnitude.

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

0.9x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 1990 ($29,940), you'd need $53,380 in 2013 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (130.7 → 233.0).

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