1986 vs 2009
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+99.9%
Median Home
+134.3%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 2009 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 2009 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $1.66 | +91% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $1.39 | +146% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $2.35 | +153% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $2.22 | +80% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $1.28 | +53% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $3.61 | +73% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $3.67 | +7% | 0.3h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $4.32 | +83% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.13 | +66% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $6,695 | +373% | 118.1h | 279.7h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $28,400 | +131% | 1029.1h | 1186.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $784 | +110% | 31.1h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $70.76 | +162% | 2.3h | 3.0h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 279.7h
harder
2.3h → 3.0h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
1029.1h → 1186.7h
harder
31.1h → 32.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 2009, sorted by magnitude.
0.3h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
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 $48,706 in 2009 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 214.6).