1986 vs 2006
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+93.6%
Median Home
+164.9%
Housing Labor
1.4x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 2006 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 2006 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $1.31 | +50% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $1.08 | +91% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $2.59 | +179% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $2.22 | +80% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $1.05 | +26% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $3.44 | +65% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $3.20 | -7% | 0.3h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $3.75 | +59% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.11 | +47% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $5,666 | +301% | 118.1h | 244.5h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $25,950 | +111% | 1029.1h | 1119.8h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $709 | +90% | 31.1h | 30.6h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $76.82 | +185% | 2.3h | 3.3h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 2006, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 244.5h
harder
2.3h → 3.3h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1029.1h → 1119.8h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 2006, sorted by magnitude.
0.3h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
31.1h → 30.6h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1986 ($24,900), you'd need $45,754 in 2006 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 201.6).