OK.

Do you want some real data on how the benefits of minimum wage increases are not
cancelled out by increases in cost of living?
Take this source that lists the consumer price indexes by country[1] . Countries with high
minimum wages, like Australia, Denmark, and Sweden dominate the upper end of the list.
Countries with low minimum wages like the United States are much lower. Seems obvious
no? Sure if you just "cherry pick this data".
Let's look at Australia as our first example. The minimum wage in Australia is $13.85 USD
per hour ($16.87 AUD) (Source can be found here)[2] . The minimum wage for a casual
worker in Australia (no sick or annual leave) is $18.08 USD per hour. All calculations will be
performed with the $13.85 rate. The minimum wage in the U.S. is $7.25 per hour. This
means that the Australian wage is 1.91 times greater than the U.S wage. Similarly,
according to this TIL the minimum wage (for McDonald's workers as example - Denmark
doesn't have an 'official' minimum wage) in Denmark is 2.89 times greater than in the U.S.
The consumer price index for Australia is 99.32, whilst, in the U.S it is 76.53. This means
that the cost of living, and prices for general goods, is only 1.29 times more in Australia
than in the U.S. However to reiterate the minimum wage is 1.91 times greater.
The CPI for Denmark, the fifth most expensive country world, is a staggering 100.60. Yet
this means the cost of living in Denmark is only 1.30 times greater than in the U.S. But the
minimum wage in Denmark, as demonstrated by this TIL, is a whopping 2.89 times greater
than in the U.S. Additionally the same website demonstrates Denmark having a grocery
price index of 88.59 and the U.S at 81.81; the Danish minimum wage McDonald's worker
could afford almost 3 times as many groceries as a U.S minimum wage worker.
So in reality the McDonalds workers of Denmark possess far more purchasing power than
their counterparts in the U.S. Combined with their free healthcare, and cheap education;
they're leaps and bounds ahead.
But then what's the other argument against minimum wage? "Minimum wage harms
businesses and impairs growth". From the data of GDP growth between countries[3] the
GDP growth in high minimum wage countries like Australia is 2.50%. Whilst in the U.S GDP
growth was only 1.60%. However Denmark's GDP growth in the same period was only
0.10%. So perhaps minimum wage is not considerably accountable for a countries growth or
collapse.
So why are we in U.S still faced with a pauper's minimum wage? Well maybe it's because,
as you said, the facts are hushed and all the data has been cherry picked.
Edit 1: After research it seems that Denmark does not have an official minimum wage. The
higher wages are a result of union bargaining. Which occurs across the industries in
Denmark. Thank you to/u/RunePoul[4] . Sorry for the mistake.
Edit 2: Also in my laziness I forgot to adjust the dollar values for Australia according to the
U.S exchange rate. I have done this now. Apologies again.
Edit 3: Thank you to all donors for the gold.
Edit 4: Please refrain from downvoting the parent comment. He has an opinion much like
anyone else. What matters is what we can show to support our opinions.
Edit 5: Regarding tax. This source[5] shows that a minimum wage worker in the U.S
would take home about $13,328 after tax. This source shows[6] that a minimum wage
worker in Australia would take home $27,760 USD after tax. And this source shows
(thankyou to /u/torbeindallas)[7] that the Danish McDonald's worker would take home
$26,776 after tax.
The Australian and Dane will take home 2.08 and 2.01 times more salary than the U.S

minimum wage worker after tax. The increase is still greater than the increase in cost of
living between these countries. However tax money in Australia and Denmark goes toward
subsidised tertiary education, free healthcare, subsidised pharmaceuticals, and welfare
(money for the unemployed/disabled/retired). So that should theoretically further increase
the income of Australians and Danes, if isolated and factored out.