1993 vs 2019
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
$31,240
→
$68,700
+119.9%
Median Home
$126,500
→
$320,250
+153.2%
Housing Labor
4.0yr
→
4.7yr
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1993 Price | 2019 Price | Change | Hours 1993 | Hours 2019 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.91 | $1.40 | +53% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.75 | $1.30 | +73% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.11 | $2.64 | +138% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.57 | $3.81 | +143% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.89 | $1.50 | +68% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.93 | $5.61 | +191% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.47 | $4.14 | +68% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.53 | $4.81 | +90% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.14 | +49% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,537 | $9,349 | +269% | 168.9h | 283.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $17,677 | $38,723 | +119% | 1177.0h | 1172.4h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $474 | $1,043 | +120% | 31.5h | 31.6h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.24 | $81.15 | +137% | 2.3h | 2.5h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1993 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
🎓
College Tuition
168.9h → 283.1h
1.7x
harder
🥓
Bacon
0.1h → 0.2h
1.3x
harder
🥩
Ground Beef
0.1h → 0.1h
1.1x
harder
⛽
Gas
0.1h → 0.1h
1.1x
harder
🏥
Doctor Visit
2.3h → 2.5h
1.1x
harder
🏠
Monthly Rent
31.5h → 31.6h
1.0x
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1993 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1993 ($31,240), you'd need $55,280 in 2019 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (144.5 → 255.7).