1985 vs 2022
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+215.7%
Median Home
+413.7%
Housing Labor
1.6x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 2022 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 2022 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $2.86 | +256% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.70 | +207% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $4.09 | +241% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $4.81 | +289% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $1.80 | +136% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $7.31 | +277% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $5.89 | +128% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $5.43 | +136% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.16 | +95% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $9,750 | +640% | 116.1h | 271.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $48,008 | +319% | 1008.3h | 1338.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $1,166 | +231% | 31.0h | 32.5h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $121 | +252% | 3.0h | 3.4h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 2022, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 271.9h
harder
1008.3h → 1338.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
3.0h → 3.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
31.0h → 32.5h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 2022, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $64,236 in 2022 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 292.6).