1985 vs 2023
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+241.3%
Median Home
+406.1%
Housing Labor
1.5x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 2023 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 2023 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $2.80 | +248% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.96 | +254% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $3.66 | +204% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $5.02 | +306% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $1.91 | +151% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $6.65 | +243% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $6.16 | +139% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $5.90 | +157% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.17 | +107% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $10,209 | +675% | 116.1h | 263.4h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $47,936 | +319% | 1008.3h | 1236.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $1,259 | +258% | 31.0h | 32.5h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $109 | +216% | 3.0h | 2.8h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 2023, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 263.4h
harder
1008.3h → 1236.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
31.0h → 32.5h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 2023, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.0h → 2.8h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $66,888 in 2023 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 304.7).