1990 vs 2023
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+169.2%
Median Home
+248.8%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1990 Price | 2023 Price | Change | Hours 1990 | Hours 2023 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.01 | $2.80 | +176% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.69 | $1.96 | +182% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.16 | $3.66 | +214% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.59 | $5.02 | +216% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.91 | +113% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.12 | $6.65 | +213% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.97 | $6.16 | +108% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.60 | $5.90 | +127% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.17 | +101% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,908 | $10,209 | +435% | 132.6h | 263.4h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $15,472 | $47,936 | +210% | 1074.9h | 1236.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $436 | $1,259 | +189% | 30.3h | 32.5h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $35.30 | $109 | +209% | 2.5h | 2.8h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1990 to 2023, sorted by magnitude.
132.6h → 263.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
1074.9h → 1236.9h
harder
2.5h → 2.8h
harder
30.3h → 32.5h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1990 to 2023, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1990 ($29,940), you'd need $69,822 in 2023 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (130.7 → 304.7).