1984 vs 2012
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+127.6%
Median Home
+205.7%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 2012 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 2012 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.84 | +83% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $1.42 | +162% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $3.64 | +201% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $3.03 | +135% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $1.42 | +76% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $4.56 | +145% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $5.68 | +120% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $5.04 | +127% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.13 | +59% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $8,070 | +557% | 113.9h | 329.0h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $31,252 | +193% | 989.8h | 1274.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $820 | +147% | 30.8h | 33.4h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $109 | +218% | 3.2h | 4.4h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 2012, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 329.0h
harder
3.2h → 4.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
989.8h → 1274.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
30.8h → 33.4h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 2012, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $49,525 in 2012 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 229.6).