1986 vs 2001
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+69.6%
Median Home
+88.1%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 2001 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 2001 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $0.93 | +7% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $1.00 | +77% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $1.46 | +58% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $1.71 | +39% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $1.11 | +32% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $3.25 | +56% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $3.09 | -10% | 0.3h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $3.70 | +57% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +21% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $3,735 | +164% | 118.1h | 184.0h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $22,457 | +82% | 1029.1h | 1106.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $605 | +62% | 31.1h | 29.8h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $43.32 | +60% | 2.3h | 2.1h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 2001, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 184.0h
harder
1029.1h → 1106.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 2001, sorted by magnitude.
0.3h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
2.3h → 2.1h
easier
31.1h → 29.8h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1986 ($24,900), you'd need $40,188 in 2001 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 177.0).