1984 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+97.7%
Median Home
+172.9%
Housing Labor
1.4x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.34 | +33% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $0.97 | +79% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $1.88 | +55% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $2.16 | +68% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $1.07 | +32% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $3.38 | +82% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $2.85 | +11% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $3.84 | +73% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +15% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $5,027 | +309% | 113.9h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $23,686 | +122% | 989.8h | 1111.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $665 | +100% | 30.8h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $55.93 | +63% | 3.2h | 2.6h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 235.9h
harder
989.8h → 1111.4h
harder
30.8h → 31.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.2h → 2.6h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $40,750 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 188.9).