1984 vs 1989
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+28.9%
Median Home
+50.6%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 1989 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 1989 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.00 | -1% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $0.67 | +23% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $1.02 | -16% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $1.44 | +12% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $0.93 | +14% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $1.77 | -5% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $3.07 | +19% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $2.60 | +17% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.08 | +0% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $1,780 | +45% | 113.9h | 128.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $14,371 | +35% | 989.8h | 1034.0h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $418 | +26% | 30.8h | 30.1h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $30.94 | -10% | 3.2h | 2.2h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 1989, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 128.1h
harder
989.8h → 1034.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 1989, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.2h → 2.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
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 → 30.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $26,736 in 1989 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 123.9).