1990 vs 2014
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+79.2%
Median Home
+133.7%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1990 Price | 2014 Price | Change | Hours 1990 | Hours 2014 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.01 | $2.02 | +99% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.69 | $1.40 | +102% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.16 | $3.37 | +189% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.59 | $3.90 | +146% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.53 | +71% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.12 | $5.78 | +172% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.97 | $4.99 | +68% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $4.89 | +88% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +64% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,908 | $8,543 | +348% | 132.6h | 331.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $15,472 | $33,560 | +117% | 1074.9h | 1300.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $436 | $870 | +100% | 30.3h | 33.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.30 | $102 | +188% | 2.5h | 3.9h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1990 to 2014, sorted by magnitude.
132.6h → 331.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.5h → 3.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1074.9h → 1300.9h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
30.3h → 33.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1990 to 2014, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1990 ($29,940), you'd need $54,243 in 2014 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (130.7 → 236.7).