1993 vs 2009
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+59.3%
Median Home
+70.5%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1993 Price | 2009 Price | Change | Hours 1993 | Hours 2009 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.91 | $1.66 | +83% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.75 | $1.39 | +84% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.11 | $2.35 | +112% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.57 | $2.22 | +42% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.89 | $1.28 | +44% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.93 | $3.61 | +87% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.47 | $3.67 | +48% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.53 | $4.32 | +71% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.13 | +39% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,537 | $6,695 | +164% | 168.9h | 279.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $17,677 | $28,400 | +61% | 1177.0h | 1186.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $474 | $784 | +65% | 31.5h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.24 | $70.76 | +107% | 2.3h | 3.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1993 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
168.9h → 279.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.3h → 3.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
31.5h → 32.7h
harder
1177.0h → 1186.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1993 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1993 ($31,240), you'd need $46,396 in 2009 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (144.5 → 214.6).