1991 vs 2012
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+69.3%
Median Home
+103.7%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1991 Price | 2012 Price | Change | Hours 1991 | Hours 2012 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.99 | $1.84 | +86% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.71 | $1.42 | +100% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.14 | $3.64 | +220% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.60 | $3.03 | +90% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.88 | $1.42 | +62% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.22 | $4.56 | +105% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.81 | $5.68 | +102% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.58 | $5.04 | +96% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.13 | +50% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,107 | $8,070 | +283% | 145.5h | 329.0h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $16,362 | $31,252 | +91% | 1129.5h | 1274.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $451 | $820 | +82% | 31.2h | 33.4h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.74 | $109 | +214% | 2.4h | 4.4h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1991 to 2012, sorted by magnitude.
145.5h → 329.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.4h → 4.4h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
1129.5h → 1274.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
31.2h → 33.4h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1991 to 2012, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1991 ($30,130), you'd need $50,801 in 2012 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (136.2 → 229.6).