1984 vs 2006
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+115.0%
Median Home
+204.9%
Housing Labor
1.4x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 2006 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 2006 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.31 | +30% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $1.08 | +100% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $2.59 | +114% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $2.22 | +73% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $1.05 | +30% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $3.44 | +85% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $3.20 | +24% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $3.75 | +69% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.11 | +37% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $5,666 | +361% | 113.9h | 244.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $25,950 | +143% | 989.8h | 1119.8h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $709 | +114% | 30.8h | 30.6h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $76.82 | +124% | 3.2h | 3.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 2006, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 244.5h
harder
989.8h → 1119.8h
harder
3.2h → 3.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 2006, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
30.8h → 30.6h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $43,479 in 2006 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 201.6).