1985 vs 1989
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+22.4%
Median Home
+42.9%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 1989 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 1989 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $1.00 | +24% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $0.67 | +20% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $1.02 | -15% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $1.44 | +16% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $0.93 | +21% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $1.77 | -9% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $3.07 | +19% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $2.60 | +13% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.08 | +1% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $1,780 | +35% | 116.1h | 128.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $14,371 | +26% | 1008.3h | 1034.0h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $418 | +19% | 31.0h | 30.1h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $30.94 | -10% | 3.0h | 2.2h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 1989, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 128.1h
harder
1008.3h → 1034.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 1989, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.0h → 2.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
31.0h → 30.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $27,207 in 1989 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 123.9).