1991 vs 2009
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+65.2%
Median Home
+79.7%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1991 Price | 2009 Price | Change | Hours 1991 | Hours 2009 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.99 | $1.66 | +68% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.71 | $1.39 | +95% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.14 | $2.35 | +106% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.60 | $2.22 | +39% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.88 | $1.28 | +45% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.22 | $3.61 | +63% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.81 | $3.67 | +31% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.58 | $4.32 | +68% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.13 | +47% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,107 | $6,695 | +218% | 145.5h | 279.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $16,362 | $28,400 | +74% | 1129.5h | 1186.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $451 | $784 | +74% | 31.2h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.74 | $70.76 | +104% | 2.4h | 3.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1991 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
145.5h → 279.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.4h → 3.0h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
31.2h → 32.7h
harder
1129.5h → 1186.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1991 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1991 ($30,130), you'd need $47,477 in 2009 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (136.2 → 214.6).