HarderToEarn.com

1991 vs 1999

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$30,130 $40,700

+35.1%

Median Home

$119,975 $160,125

+33.5%

Housing Labor

4.0yr 3.9yr

1.0x easier

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 1991 Price 1999 Price Change Hours 1991 Hours 1999 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $0.99 $0.96 -3% 0.1h 0.0h Easier
🍞 Bread $0.71 $0.89 +25% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
⛽ Gas $1.14 $1.17 +2% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥩 Ground Beef $1.60 $1.45 -9% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🐔 Chicken $0.88 $1.06 +20% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥓 Bacon $2.22 $2.55 +15% 0.2h 0.1h Easier
☕ Coffee $2.81 $3.43 +22% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
🍊 Oranges $2.58 $3.30 +28% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
⚡ Electricity $0.09 $0.09 -0% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
🎓 College Tuition $2,107 $3,356 +59% 145.5h 171.5h Harder
🚗 New Car $16,362 $21,092 +29% 1129.5h 1077.9h Easier
🏠 Monthly Rent $451 $559 +24% 31.2h 28.6h Easier
🏥 Doctor Visit $34.74 $35.05 +1% 2.4h 1.8h Easier

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 1991 to 1999, sorted by magnitude.

🎓
College Tuition

145.5h → 171.5h

1.2x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 1991 to 1999, sorted by magnitude.

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

0.7x

easier

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.0h

0.7x

easier

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

0.7x

easier

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.4h → 1.8h

0.7x

easier

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

0.8x

easier

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.1h

0.8x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

Coffee

0.2h → 0.2h

0.9x

easier

🏠
Monthly Rent

31.2h → 28.6h

0.9x

easier

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.0h

0.9x

easier

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

0.9x

easier

🚗
New Car

1129.5h → 1077.9h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 1991 ($30,130), you'd need $36,860 in 1999 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (136.2 → 166.6).

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