1985 vs 2016
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+150.0%
Median Home
+262.1%
Housing Labor
1.4x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 2016 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 2016 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $1.68 | +110% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.37 | +148% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $2.14 | +78% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $3.75 | +203% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $1.46 | +92% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $5.42 | +179% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $4.39 | +70% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $4.76 | +107% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +66% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $8,804 | +568% | 116.1h | 310.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $35,309 | +208% | 1008.3h | 1243.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $935 | +166% | 31.0h | 32.9h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $65.64 | +90% | 3.0h | 2.3h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 2016, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 310.2h
harder
1008.3h → 1243.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
31.0h → 32.9h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 2016, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.0h → 2.3h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $52,685 in 2016 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 240.0).