1986 vs 2008
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+102.0%
Median Home
+149.4%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 2008 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 2008 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $1.99 | +128% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $1.37 | +142% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $3.27 | +252% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $2.34 | +90% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $1.21 | +45% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $3.66 | +76% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $4.21 | +79% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.12 | +61% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $6,185 | +337% | 118.1h | 255.8h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $27,291 | +122% | 1029.1h | 1128.5h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $766 | +106% | 31.1h | 31.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $96.75 | +258% | 2.3h | 4.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 255.8h
harder
2.3h → 4.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1029.1h → 1128.5h
harder
31.1h → 31.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 2008, sorted by magnitude.
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
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1986 ($24,900), you'd need $48,863 in 2008 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 215.3).