1986 vs 2003
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+74.0%
Median Home
+108.8%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 2003 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 2003 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $1.24 | +43% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $1.00 | +77% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $1.59 | +72% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $1.95 | +58% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $1.03 | +24% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $3.20 | +54% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $2.92 | -15% | 0.3h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $3.81 | +62% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +21% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $4,587 | +224% | 118.1h | 220.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $23,282 | +89% | 1029.1h | 1117.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $647 | +74% | 31.1h | 31.1h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $47.43 | +76% | 2.3h | 2.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 220.2h
harder
1029.1h → 1117.9h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
2.3h → 2.3h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 2003, sorted by magnitude.
0.3h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
31.1h → 31.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1986 ($24,900), you'd need $41,768 in 2003 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 184.0).