1986 vs 2002
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+70.3%
Median Home
+102.1%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 2002 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 2002 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $1.03 | +19% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $1.02 | +80% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $1.36 | +46% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $1.71 | +39% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $1.07 | +29% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $3.24 | +55% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $2.92 | -15% | 0.3h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $3.73 | +58% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +19% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $4,081 | +189% | 118.1h | 200.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $22,871 | +86% | 1029.1h | 1121.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $629 | +69% | 31.1h | 30.8h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $40.59 | +50% | 2.3h | 2.0h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 200.2h
harder
1029.1h → 1121.7h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
0.3h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
2.3h → 2.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
31.1h → 30.8h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1986 ($24,900), you'd need $40,830 in 2002 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 179.9).