1984 vs 1988
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+21.5%
Median Home
+40.4%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 1988 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 1988 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $0.79 | -21% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $0.61 | +13% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $0.95 | -22% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $1.36 | +6% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $0.85 | +5% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $1.88 | +1% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $2.77 | +7% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $2.46 | +11% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.08 | -2% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $1,646 | +34% | 113.9h | 125.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $13,932 | +31% | 989.8h | 1064.2h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $403 | +21% | 30.8h | 30.8h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $28.27 | -17% | 3.2h | 2.2h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 1988, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 125.7h
harder
989.8h → 1064.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 1988, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.2h → 2.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
30.8h → 30.8h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $25,514 in 1988 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 118.3).