1984 vs 2018
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+181.8%
Median Home
+306.8%
Housing Labor
1.4x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 2018 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 2018 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.74 | +73% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $1.29 | +138% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $2.74 | +126% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $3.72 | +189% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $1.50 | +85% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $5.47 | +194% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $4.30 | +67% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $4.74 | +114% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +67% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $9,212 | +650% | 113.9h | 303.3h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $37,577 | +252% | 989.8h | 1237.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $1,006 | +203% | 30.8h | 33.1h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $84.16 | +146% | 3.2h | 2.8h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 2018, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 303.3h
harder
989.8h → 1237.1h
harder
30.8h → 33.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 2018, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
3.2h → 2.8h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1984 ($22,420), you'd need $54,166 in 2018 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 251.1).