1986 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+78.0%
Median Home
+137.1%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $1.34 | +54% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $0.97 | +72% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $1.88 | +103% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $2.16 | +75% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $1.07 | +28% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $3.38 | +62% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $2.85 | -17% | 0.3h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $3.84 | +63% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +23% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $5,027 | +256% | 118.1h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $23,686 | +92% | 1029.1h | 1111.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $665 | +78% | 31.1h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $55.93 | +107% | 2.3h | 2.6h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 235.9h
harder
2.3h → 2.6h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1029.1h → 1111.4h
harder
31.1h → 31.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
0.3h → 0.1h
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
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1986 ($24,900), you'd need $42,882 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 188.9).