1985 vs 2015
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+139.3%
Median Home
+249.0%
Housing Labor
1.5x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 2015 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 2015 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $2.47 | +207% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.44 | +160% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $2.45 | +104% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $4.17 | +237% | 0.1h | 0.2h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $1.49 | +95% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $5.45 | +181% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $4.72 | +83% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $4.74 | +106% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +70% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $8,778 | +566% | 116.1h | 323.0h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $34,428 | +201% | 1008.3h | 1267.0h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $901 | +156% | 31.0h | 33.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $74.01 | +115% | 3.0h | 2.7h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 2015, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 323.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1008.3h → 1267.0h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
31.0h → 33.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 2015, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
3.0h → 2.7h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $52,026 in 2015 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 237.0).