1984 vs 1999
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+81.5%
Median Home
+100.3%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 1999 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 1999 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $0.96 | -5% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $0.89 | +64% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $1.17 | -4% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $1.45 | +13% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $1.06 | +30% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $2.55 | +37% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $3.43 | +33% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $3.30 | +49% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +6% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $3,356 | +173% | 113.9h | 171.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $21,092 | +98% | 989.8h | 1077.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $559 | +69% | 30.8h | 28.6h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $35.05 | +2% | 3.2h | 1.8h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 1999, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 171.5h
harder
989.8h → 1077.9h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 1999, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.2h → 1.8h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
30.8h → 28.6h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $35,935 in 1999 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 166.6).