1984 vs 2017
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+172.7%
Median Home
+303.3%
Housing Labor
1.5x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 2017 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 2017 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.47 | +46% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $1.33 | +146% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $2.41 | +99% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $3.64 | +183% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $1.47 | +82% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $5.77 | +211% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $4.45 | +73% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $4.69 | +112% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +69% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $9,037 | +636% | 113.9h | 307.4h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $36,113 | +238% | 989.8h | 1228.6h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $971 | +193% | 30.8h | 33.0h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $74.24 | +117% | 3.2h | 2.5h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 2017, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 307.4h
harder
989.8h → 1228.6h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
30.8h → 33.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 2017, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
3.2h → 2.5h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $52,876 in 2017 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 245.1).