1985 vs 2008
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+113.0%
Median Home
+172.4%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 2008 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 2008 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $1.99 | +147% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.37 | +147% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $3.27 | +172% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $2.34 | +89% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $1.21 | +58% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $3.66 | +89% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $4.21 | +83% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.12 | +52% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $6,185 | +369% | 116.1h | 255.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $27,291 | +138% | 1008.3h | 1128.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $766 | +118% | 31.0h | 31.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $96.75 | +180% | 3.0h | 4.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 255.8h
harder
3.0h → 4.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
1008.3h → 1128.5h
harder
31.0h → 31.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $47,252 in 2008 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 215.3).