1984 vs 1991
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+34.4%
Median Home
+50.1%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 1991 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 1991 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $0.99 | -2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $0.71 | +31% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $1.14 | -6% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $1.60 | +24% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $0.88 | +9% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $2.22 | +20% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $2.81 | +9% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $2.58 | +16% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +6% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $2,107 | +72% | 113.9h | 145.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $16,362 | +53% | 989.8h | 1129.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $451 | +36% | 30.8h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $34.74 | +2% | 3.2h | 2.4h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 1991, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 145.5h
harder
989.8h → 1129.5h
harder
30.8h → 31.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 1991, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.2h → 2.4h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $29,373 in 1991 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 136.2).