1986 vs 1987
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+4.7%
Median Home
+13.8%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 1987 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 1987 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $0.78 | -10% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $0.55 | -3% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $0.95 | +2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $1.31 | +6% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $0.78 | -6% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $2.14 | +3% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $2.79 | -19% | 0.3h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $2.46 | +4% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.08 | +3% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $1,537 | +9% | 118.1h | 122.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $12,922 | +5% | 1029.1h | 1031.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $388 | +4% | 31.1h | 31.0h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $28.03 | +4% | 2.3h | 2.2h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 1987, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 122.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1029.1h → 1031.4h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 1987, sorted by magnitude.
0.3h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
2.3h → 2.2h
easier
31.1h → 31.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1986 ($24,900), you'd need $25,791 in 1987 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 113.6).