1986 vs 1988
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+9.4%
Median Home
+22.0%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 1988 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 1988 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $0.79 | -9% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $0.61 | +9% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $0.95 | +2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $1.36 | +11% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $0.85 | +2% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $1.88 | -10% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $2.77 | -19% | 0.3h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $2.46 | +4% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.08 | +4% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $1,646 | +16% | 118.1h | 125.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $13,932 | +13% | 1029.1h | 1064.2h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $403 | +8% | 31.1h | 30.8h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $28.27 | +5% | 2.3h | 2.2h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 1988, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 125.7h
harder
1029.1h → 1064.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 1988, sorted by magnitude.
0.3h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
2.3h → 2.2h
easier
31.1h → 30.8h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1986 ($24,900), you'd need $26,848 in 1988 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 118.3).