1986 vs 2022
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+199.5%
Median Home
+370.5%
Housing Labor
1.6x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1986 Price | 2022 Price | Change | Hours 1986 | Hours 2022 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.87 | $2.86 | +229% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.56 | $1.70 | +201% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.93 | $4.09 | +341% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.23 | $4.81 | +290% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.83 | $1.80 | +116% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.08 | $7.31 | +251% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Harder |
| ☕ Coffee | $3.43 | $5.89 | +72% | 0.3h | 0.2h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.36 | $5.43 | +130% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.16 | +107% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,414 | $9,750 | +590% | 118.1h | 271.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,319 | $48,008 | +290% | 1029.1h | 1338.9h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $373 | $1,166 | +213% | 31.1h | 32.5h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $26.99 | $121 | +350% | 2.3h | 3.4h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1986 to 2022, sorted by magnitude.
118.1h → 271.9h
harder
2.3h → 3.4h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1029.1h → 1338.9h
harder
0.2h → 0.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
31.1h → 32.5h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1986 to 2022, 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 $66,426 in 2022 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (109.7 → 292.6).