1985 vs 2020
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+187.9%
Median Home
+289.4%
Housing Labor
1.4x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 2020 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 2020 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $1.51 | +87% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.45 | +162% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $2.17 | +81% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $4.12 | +233% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $1.56 | +105% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $5.58 | +188% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $4.43 | +72% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $4.92 | +114% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +67% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $9,349 | +609% | 116.1h | 285.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $40,107 | +250% | 1008.3h | 1226.6h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $1,076 | +206% | 31.0h | 32.9h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $68.24 | +98% | 3.0h | 2.1h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 2020, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 285.9h
harder
1008.3h → 1226.6h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
31.0h → 32.9h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 2020, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
3.0h → 2.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $56,823 in 2020 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 258.9).