1985 vs 2021
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+199.7%
Median Home
+354.5%
Housing Labor
1.5x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 2021 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 2021 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $1.67 | +108% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.52 | +175% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $3.05 | +154% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $4.33 | +250% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $1.53 | +100% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $6.64 | +242% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $4.71 | +82% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $4.89 | +113% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +73% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $9,375 | +611% | 116.1h | 275.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $42,258 | +269% | 1008.3h | 1241.8h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $1,100 | +212% | 31.0h | 32.3h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $92.47 | +168% | 3.0h | 2.7h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 2021, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 275.5h
harder
1008.3h → 1241.8h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
31.0h → 32.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 2021, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.0h → 2.7h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $59,482 in 2021 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 271.0).