1986 vs 1994
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+29.6%
Median Home
+41.7%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 1994 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 1994 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $0.86 | -1% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $0.76 | +35% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $1.11 | +20% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $1.48 | +20% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $0.90 | +8% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $1.99 | -4% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $3.40 | -1% | 0.3h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $2.63 | +11% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +20% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $2,681 | +90% | 118.1h | 172.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $18,657 | +51% | 1029.1h | 1202.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $485 | +30% | 31.1h | 31.3h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $34.37 | +27% | 2.3h | 2.2h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 1994, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 172.9h
harder
1029.1h → 1202.9h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
31.1h → 31.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 1994, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.3h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
2.3h → 2.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1986 ($24,900), you'd need $33,647 in 1994 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 148.2).