1984 vs 2019
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+206.4%
Median Home
+300.6%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1984 Price | 2019 Price | Change | Hours 1984 | Hours 2019 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $1.00 | $1.40 | +39% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.54 | $1.30 | +140% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.21 | $2.64 | +117% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.29 | $3.81 | +196% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.81 | $1.50 | +85% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.86 | $5.61 | +202% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $4.14 | +61% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.22 | $4.81 | +117% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +67% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,228 | $9,349 | +661% | 113.9h | 283.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $10,669 | $38,723 | +263% | 989.8h | 1172.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $332 | $1,043 | +214% | 30.8h | 31.6h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.22 | $81.15 | +137% | 3.2h | 2.5h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1984 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
113.9h → 283.1h
harder
989.8h → 1172.4h
harder
30.8h → 31.6h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1984 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.2h → 2.5h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
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 $55,148 in 2019 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (103.9 → 255.7).