1985 vs 1988
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+15.3%
Median Home
+33.2%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 1988 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 1988 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $0.79 | -2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $0.61 | +11% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $0.95 | -21% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $1.36 | +10% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $0.85 | +12% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $1.88 | -3% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $2.77 | +7% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $2.46 | +7% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.08 | -2% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $1,646 | +25% | 116.1h | 125.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $13,932 | +22% | 1008.3h | 1064.2h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $403 | +14% | 31.0h | 30.8h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $28.27 | -18% | 3.0h | 2.2h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 1988, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 125.7h
harder
1008.3h → 1064.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 1988, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.0h → 2.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
31.0h → 30.8h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $25,963 in 1988 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 118.3).