1985 vs 1996
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+50.3%
Median Home
+66.4%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 1996 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 1996 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $1.11 | +38% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $0.88 | +58% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $1.23 | +2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $1.37 | +11% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $0.97 | +27% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $2.47 | +27% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $3.43 | +33% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $2.86 | +24% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +16% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $2,975 | +126% | 116.1h | 174.4h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $19,828 | +73% | 1008.3h | 1162.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $510 | +45% | 31.0h | 29.9h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $37.05 | +7% | 3.0h | 2.2h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 1996, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 174.4h
harder
1008.3h → 1162.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 1996, sorted by magnitude.
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.0h → 2.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
31.0h → 29.9h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $34,433 in 1996 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 156.9).