1991 vs 2008
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+66.9%
Median Home
+91.3%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1991 Price | 2008 Price | Change | Hours 1991 | Hours 2008 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.99 | $1.99 | +101% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.71 | $1.37 | +92% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.14 | $3.27 | +186% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.60 | $2.34 | +47% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.88 | $1.21 | +37% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.22 | $3.66 | +65% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.58 | $4.21 | +63% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.12 | +42% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,107 | $6,185 | +194% | 145.5h | 255.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $16,362 | $27,291 | +67% | 1129.5h | 1128.5h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $451 | $766 | +70% | 31.2h | 31.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.74 | $96.75 | +178% | 2.4h | 4.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1991 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
145.5h → 255.8h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.4h → 4.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
31.2h → 31.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1991 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
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
1129.5h → 1128.5h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1991 ($30,130), you'd need $47,630 in 2008 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (136.2 → 215.3).