1984 vs 1997
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+65.1%
Median Home
+81.4%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 1997 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 1997 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.06 | +5% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $0.87 | +61% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $1.23 | +2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $1.40 | +8% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $1.00 | +24% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $2.68 | +44% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $4.11 | +59% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $2.92 | +31% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +15% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $3,111 | +153% | 113.9h | 174.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $20,276 | +90% | 989.8h | 1139.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $525 | +58% | 30.8h | 29.5h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $37.03 | +8% | 3.2h | 2.1h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 1997, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 174.8h
harder
989.8h → 1139.5h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 1997, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.2h → 2.1h
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
30.8h → 29.5h
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 $34,628 in 1997 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 160.5).