1991 vs 2017
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
$30,130
→
$61,140
+102.9%
Median Home
$119,975
→
$322,425
+168.7%
Housing Labor
4.0yr
→
5.3yr
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1991 Price | 2017 Price | Change | Hours 1991 | Hours 2017 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.99 | $1.47 | +48% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.71 | $1.33 | +88% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.14 | $2.41 | +111% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.60 | $3.64 | +128% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.88 | $1.47 | +67% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.22 | $5.77 | +160% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.81 | $4.45 | +59% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.58 | $4.69 | +82% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +59% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,107 | $9,037 | +329% | 145.5h | 307.4h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $16,362 | $36,113 | +121% | 1129.5h | 1228.6h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $451 | $971 | +115% | 31.2h | 33.0h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.74 | $74.24 | +114% | 2.4h | 2.5h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1991 to 2017, sorted by magnitude.
🎓
College Tuition
145.5h → 307.4h
2.1x
harder
🥓
Bacon
0.2h → 0.2h
1.3x
harder
🥩
Ground Beef
0.1h → 0.1h
1.1x
harder
🚗
New Car
1129.5h → 1228.6h
1.1x
harder
🏠
Monthly Rent
31.2h → 33.0h
1.1x
harder
🏥
Doctor Visit
2.4h → 2.5h
1.1x
harder
⛽
Gas
0.1h → 0.1h
1.0x
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1991 to 2017, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1991 ($30,130), you'd need $54,239 in 2017 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (136.2 → 245.1).