That’s an idea that makes sense, which means there isn’t a chance in hell of it going anywhere. The logical Idea to gear minimum wage requirements to prevailing local cost of living rates has been around for at least as long as the minimum wage itself. As it stands now, it turns out that the system you describe is pretty much in place. The federal minimum wage is the floor, with individual cities and states choosing to exceed federal requirements (depending on levels of enlightenment) based on local needs. And true to form, the more backward and destitute the region, the louder the protests against the “evils” of the minimum wage.