1984 vs 2008
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+124.4%
Median Home
+187.1%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 2008 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 2008 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.99 | +98% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $1.37 | +152% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $3.27 | +169% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $2.34 | +82% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $1.21 | +49% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $3.66 | +97% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $4.21 | +90% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.12 | +51% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $6,185 | +404% | 113.9h | 255.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $27,291 | +156% | 989.8h | 1128.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $766 | +131% | 30.8h | 31.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $96.75 | +183% | 3.2h | 4.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 255.8h
harder
3.2h → 4.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
989.8h → 1128.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
30.8h → 31.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $46,434 in 2008 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 215.3).