1985 vs 2003
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+83.4%
Median Home
+128.0%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 2003 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 2003 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $1.24 | +55% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.00 | +81% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $1.59 | +32% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $1.95 | +58% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $1.03 | +36% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $3.20 | +65% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $2.92 | +13% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $3.81 | +66% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +14% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $4,587 | +248% | 116.1h | 220.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $23,282 | +103% | 1008.3h | 1117.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $647 | +84% | 31.0h | 31.1h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $47.43 | +37% | 3.0h | 2.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 220.2h
harder
1008.3h → 1117.9h
harder
31.0h → 31.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
3.0h → 2.3h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $40,391 in 2003 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 184.0).