1994 vs 2008
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+55.9%
Median Home
+76.0%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1994 Price | 2008 Price | Change | Hours 1994 | Hours 2008 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.86 | $1.99 | +130% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.76 | $1.37 | +80% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.11 | $3.27 | +194% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.48 | $2.34 | +59% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.90 | $1.21 | +34% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.99 | $3.66 | +84% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.63 | $4.21 | +60% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.09 | $0.12 | +34% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $2,681 | $6,185 | +131% | 172.9h | 255.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $18,657 | $27,291 | +46% | 1202.9h | 1128.5h | Easier |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $485 | $766 | +58% | 31.3h | 31.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.37 | $96.75 | +181% | 2.2h | 4.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1994 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
2.2h → 4.0h
harder
172.9h → 255.8h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
31.3h → 31.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1994 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
1202.9h → 1128.5h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1994 ($32,260), you'd need $46,848 in 2008 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (148.2 → 215.3).