1984 vs 1994
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+43.9%
Median Home
+63.1%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 1994 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 1994 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $0.86 | -14% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $0.76 | +41% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $1.11 | -8% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $1.48 | +15% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $0.90 | +11% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $1.99 | +7% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $3.40 | +32% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $2.63 | +18% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +13% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $2,681 | +118% | 113.9h | 172.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $18,657 | +75% | 989.8h | 1202.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $485 | +46% | 30.8h | 31.3h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $34.37 | +0% | 3.2h | 2.2h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 1994, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 172.9h
harder
989.8h → 1202.9h
harder
30.8h → 31.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 1994, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
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
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $31,974 in 1994 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 148.2).