1986 vs 2007
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+101.7%
Median Home
+166.2%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 2007 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 2007 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $1.68 | +93% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $1.21 | +114% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $2.80 | +202% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $2.30 | +87% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $1.12 | +34% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $3.66 | +76% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $3.47 | +1% | 0.3h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $3.95 | +68% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.12 | +52% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $5,943 | +320% | 118.1h | 246.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $27,026 | +119% | 1029.1h | 1119.1h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $739 | +98% | 31.1h | 30.6h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $83.31 | +209% | 2.3h | 3.4h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 2007, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 246.1h
harder
2.3h → 3.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1029.1h → 1119.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 2007, sorted by magnitude.
0.3h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
31.1h → 30.6h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1986 ($24,900), you'd need $47,067 in 2007 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 207.3).