1985 vs 2019
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+190.9%
Median Home
+280.0%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 2019 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 2019 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $1.40 | +74% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.30 | +135% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $2.64 | +119% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $3.81 | +208% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $1.50 | +96% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $5.61 | +189% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $4.14 | +60% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $4.81 | +109% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +68% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $9,349 | +609% | 116.1h | 283.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $38,723 | +238% | 1008.3h | 1172.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $1,043 | +196% | 31.0h | 31.6h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $81.15 | +135% | 3.0h | 2.5h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 283.1h
harder
1008.3h → 1172.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
31.0h → 31.6h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
3.0h → 2.5h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $56,120 in 2019 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 255.7).