1986 vs 2010
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+97.9%
Median Home
+142.0%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 2010 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 2010 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $1.66 | +91% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $1.37 | +143% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $2.79 | +201% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $2.37 | +92% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $1.26 | +51% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $4.11 | +97% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $3.91 | +14% | 0.3h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $4.46 | +89% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.13 | +67% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $7,136 | +405% | 118.1h | 301.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $29,217 | +137% | 1029.1h | 1233.2h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $786 | +111% | 31.1h | 33.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $83.69 | +210% | 2.3h | 3.5h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 2010, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 301.2h
harder
2.3h → 3.5h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
1029.1h → 1233.2h
harder
31.1h → 33.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 2010, 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
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1986 ($24,900), you'd need $49,503 in 2010 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 218.1).