1986 vs 2020
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+173.1%
Median Home
+256.6%
Housing Labor
1.3x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 2020 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 2020 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $1.51 | +73% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $1.45 | +157% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $2.17 | +134% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $4.12 | +234% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $1.56 | +87% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $5.58 | +168% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $4.43 | +29% | 0.3h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $4.92 | +109% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +77% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $9,349 | +561% | 118.1h | 285.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $40,107 | +226% | 1029.1h | 1226.6h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $1,076 | +189% | 31.1h | 32.9h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $68.24 | +153% | 2.3h | 2.1h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 2020, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 285.9h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1029.1h → 1226.6h
harder
31.1h → 32.9h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 2020, sorted by magnitude.
0.3h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
2.3h → 2.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1986 ($24,900), you'd need $58,760 in 2020 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 258.9).