1984 vs 2003
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+93.2%
Median Home
+140.3%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 2003 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 2003 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.24 | +24% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $1.00 | +85% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $1.59 | +31% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $1.95 | +52% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $1.03 | +28% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $3.20 | +72% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $2.92 | +13% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $3.81 | +72% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +14% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $4,587 | +274% | 113.9h | 220.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $23,282 | +118% | 989.8h | 1117.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $647 | +95% | 30.8h | 31.1h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $47.43 | +39% | 3.2h | 2.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 220.2h
harder
989.8h → 1117.9h
harder
30.8h → 31.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.2h → 2.3h
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 $39,692 in 2003 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 184.0).