1984 vs 2009
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+122.0%
Median Home
+169.7%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 2009 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 2009 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.66 | +66% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $1.39 | +156% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $2.35 | +94% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $2.22 | +73% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $1.28 | +58% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $3.61 | +94% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $3.67 | +42% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $4.32 | +95% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.13 | +56% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $6,695 | +445% | 113.9h | 279.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $28,400 | +166% | 989.8h | 1186.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $784 | +136% | 30.8h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $70.76 | +107% | 3.2h | 3.0h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 279.7h
harder
989.8h → 1186.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
30.8h → 32.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
3.2h → 3.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $46,285 in 2009 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 214.6).