1985 vs 2011
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+111.9%
Median Home
+166.9%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 2011 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 2011 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $1.77 | +120% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.44 | +161% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $3.53 | +193% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $2.77 | +124% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $1.29 | +69% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $4.63 | +139% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $5.19 | +101% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $4.93 | +114% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.13 | +60% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $7,713 | +485% | 116.1h | 320.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $30,659 | +168% | 1008.3h | 1274.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $799 | +127% | 31.0h | 33.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $105 | +206% | 3.0h | 4.4h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 2011, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 320.5h
harder
3.0h → 4.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1008.3h → 1274.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
31.0h → 33.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 2011, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $49,374 in 2011 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 224.9).