1984 vs 1996
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+58.3%
Median Home
+75.4%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 1996 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 1996 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.11 | +10% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $0.88 | +62% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $1.23 | +2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $1.37 | +6% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $0.97 | +20% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $2.47 | +33% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $3.43 | +33% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $2.86 | +29% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +15% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $2,975 | +142% | 113.9h | 174.4h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $19,828 | +86% | 989.8h | 1162.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $510 | +54% | 30.8h | 29.9h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $37.05 | +8% | 3.2h | 2.2h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 1996, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 174.4h
harder
989.8h → 1162.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 1996, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.2h → 2.2h
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
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
30.8h → 29.9h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $33,837 in 1996 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 156.9).