1984 vs 2011
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+123.2%
Median Home
+181.3%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 2011 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 2011 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.77 | +76% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $1.44 | +167% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $3.53 | +191% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $2.77 | +116% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $1.29 | +59% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $4.63 | +149% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $5.19 | +101% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $4.93 | +122% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.13 | +59% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $7,713 | +528% | 113.9h | 320.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $30,659 | +187% | 989.8h | 1274.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $799 | +141% | 30.8h | 33.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $105 | +208% | 3.2h | 4.4h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 2011, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 320.5h
harder
3.2h → 4.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
989.8h → 1274.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
30.8h → 33.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 2011, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $48,519 in 2011 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 224.9).