A $15 Minimum Wage will Make your Big Mac $12!!! What a headline. And this is probably the headline that many media outlets love to share - especially if they're opponents to an increased minimum wage. You know the types: Loud as a motorbike, but wouldn't bust a grape in a fruit fight. If you're doing some quick math, raising salaries by a factor of 2, should increase the cost of a Big Mac by that same factor. And you could even do more complicated math, and get the same result. BUT this is a scenario of using Math to prove a point of view instead of using Math to find an answer. A subtle yet powerful distinction. Using Math to Prove a POV (Count the Assumptions) According to the BMI aka Big Mac Index , individuals pay about $5.66 every time they order the sandwich. By doing some Algebraic Scare Tactics (Trademark pending), I can "prove" an increase of wages to $15 will increase the BMI to $11.71, or $12 since that's a better headline. First things first,