1986 vs 2013
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+115.2%
Median Home
+189.3%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 2013 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 2013 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $1.91 | +120% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $1.41 | +149% | 0.0h | 0.1h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $3.53 | +280% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $3.40 | +176% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $1.50 | +79% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $5.29 | +154% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $5.45 | +59% | 0.3h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $4.99 | +112% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.13 | +73% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $8,312 | +488% | 118.1h | 322.6h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $32,086 | +160% | 1029.1h | 1245.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $843 | +126% | 31.1h | 32.7h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $106 | +292% | 2.3h | 4.1h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 2013, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 322.6h
harder
2.3h → 4.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1029.1h → 1245.4h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.1h
harder
31.1h → 32.7h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 2013, sorted by magnitude.
0.3h → 0.2h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
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 $52,880 in 2013 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 233.0).