HarderToEarn.com

1984 vs 1985

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$22,420 $23,620

+5.4%

Median Home

$79,950 $84,275

+5.4%

Housing Labor

3.6yr 3.6yr

1.0x harder

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 1984 Price 1985 Price Change Hours 1984 Hours 1985 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $1.00 $0.80 -20% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🍞 Bread $0.54 $0.55 +2% 0.1h 0.0h Easier
⛽ Gas $1.21 $1.20 -1% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥩 Ground Beef $1.29 $1.24 -4% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🐔 Chicken $0.81 $0.76 -6% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥓 Bacon $1.86 $1.94 +4% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
☕ Coffee $2.58 $2.58 +0% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
🍊 Oranges $2.22 $2.30 +4% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
⚡ Electricity $0.08 $0.08 -1% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
🎓 College Tuition $1,228 $1,318 +7% 113.9h 116.1h Harder
🚗 New Car $10,669 $11,450 +7% 989.8h 1008.3h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $332 $352 +6% 30.8h 31.0h Harder
🏥 Doctor Visit $34.22 $34.50 +1% 3.2h 3.0h Easier

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 1985, sorted by magnitude.

🎓
College Tuition

113.9h → 116.1h

1.0x

harder

🚗
New Car

989.8h → 1008.3h

1.0x

harder

🏠
Monthly Rent

30.8h → 31.0h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 1985, sorted by magnitude.

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.1h

0.8x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

0.9x

easier

Coffee

0.2h → 0.2h

1.0x

easier

🏥
Doctor Visit

3.2h → 3.0h

1.0x

easier

🍞
Bread

0.1h → 0.0h

1.0x

easier

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

1.0x

easier

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.2h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $23,211 in 1985 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 107.6).

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