1984 vs 1998
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+73.5%
Median Home
+90.0%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 1998 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 1998 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.04 | +3% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $0.86 | +59% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $1.06 | -13% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $1.41 | +10% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $1.04 | +29% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $2.54 | +37% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $3.77 | +46% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $3.13 | +41% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +6% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $3,229 | +163% | 113.9h | 172.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $20,686 | +94% | 989.8h | 1106.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $542 | +63% | 30.8h | 29.0h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $32.08 | -6% | 3.2h | 1.7h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 1998, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 172.7h
harder
989.8h → 1106.4h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 1998, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.2h → 1.7h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
30.8h → 29.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $35,163 in 1998 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 163.0).