1985 vs 1986
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+5.4%
Median Home
+9.2%
Housing Labor
1.0x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 1986 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 1986 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $0.87 | +8% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $0.56 | +2% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $0.93 | -23% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $1.23 | -0% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $0.83 | +9% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $2.08 | +7% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $3.43 | +33% | 0.2h | 0.3h | Harder |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $2.36 | +3% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.08 | -6% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $1,414 | +7% | 116.1h | 118.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $12,319 | +8% | 1008.3h | 1029.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $373 | +6% | 31.0h | 31.1h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $26.99 | -22% | 3.0h | 2.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 1986, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1008.3h → 1029.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
116.1h → 118.1h
harder
31.0h → 31.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 1986, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.0h → 2.3h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $24,079 in 1986 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 109.7).