1992 vs 2016
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+92.7%
Median Home
+151.4%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1992 Price | 2016 Price | Change | Hours 1992 | Hours 2016 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.86 | $1.68 | +96% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.75 | $1.37 | +83% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.13 | $2.14 | +90% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.54 | $3.75 | +143% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.87 | $1.46 | +68% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.92 | $5.42 | +183% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $4.39 | +70% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.58 | $4.76 | +84% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +53% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,349 | $8,804 | +275% | 159.5h | 310.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $17,109 | $35,309 | +106% | 1161.4h | 1243.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $463 | $935 | +102% | 31.4h | 32.9h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.64 | $65.64 | +89% | 2.4h | 2.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1992 to 2016, sorted by magnitude.
159.5h → 310.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1161.4h → 1243.9h
harder
31.4h → 32.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1992 to 2016, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
2.4h → 2.3h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1992 ($30,640), you'd need $52,411 in 2016 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (140.3 → 240.0).