1985 vs 2009
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+110.8%
Median Home
+155.9%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 2009 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 2009 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $1.66 | +107% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.39 | +151% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $2.35 | +96% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $2.22 | +79% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $1.28 | +67% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $3.61 | +86% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $3.67 | +42% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $4.32 | +88% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.13 | +56% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $6,695 | +408% | 116.1h | 279.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $28,400 | +148% | 1008.3h | 1186.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $784 | +123% | 31.0h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $70.76 | +105% | 3.0h | 3.0h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 279.7h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
1008.3h → 1186.7h
harder
31.0h → 32.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.0h → 3.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $47,101 in 2009 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 214.6).