HarderToEarn.com

1994 vs 1999

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$32,260 $40,700

+26.2%

Median Home

$130,425 $160,125

+22.8%

Housing Labor

4.0yr 3.9yr

1.0x easier

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 1994 Price 1999 Price Change Hours 1994 Hours 1999 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $0.86 $0.96 +11% 0.1h 0.0h Easier
🍞 Bread $0.76 $0.89 +17% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
⛽ Gas $1.11 $1.17 +5% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥩 Ground Beef $1.48 $1.45 -2% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🐔 Chicken $0.90 $1.06 +17% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥓 Bacon $1.99 $2.55 +28% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
☕ Coffee $3.40 $3.43 +1% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
🍊 Oranges $2.63 $3.30 +26% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
⚡ Electricity $0.09 $0.09 -6% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
🎓 College Tuition $2,681 $3,356 +25% 172.9h 171.5h Easier
🚗 New Car $18,657 $21,092 +13% 1202.9h 1077.9h Easier
🏠 Monthly Rent $485 $559 +15% 31.3h 28.6h Easier
🏥 Doctor Visit $34.37 $35.05 +2% 2.2h 1.8h Easier

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 1994 to 1999, sorted by magnitude.

🥓
Bacon

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 1994 to 1999, sorted by magnitude.

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

0.7x

easier

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

0.8x

easier

Coffee

0.2h → 0.2h

0.8x

easier

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.2h → 1.8h

0.8x

easier

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

0.8x

easier

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.0h

0.9x

easier

🚗
New Car

1202.9h → 1077.9h

0.9x

easier

🏠
Monthly Rent

31.3h → 28.6h

0.9x

easier

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.0h

0.9x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🎓
College Tuition

172.9h → 171.5h

1.0x

easier

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 1994 ($32,260), you'd need $36,256 in 1999 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (148.2 → 166.6).

Share on

🔗 Related Comparisons