By Randy Ching February 10, 2020 Hawaii has the highest cost of living in the U.S. When adjusted for the cost of living, our minimum wage of $10.10 an hour is one of the lowest in the country. Our cost of housing is the highest in the country. It is impossible to survive on $21,000 a year in Hawaii. For the past two years, advocates of a living wage ($17.63 an hour, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism) have been seeking a $17 an hour minimum wage so that people can survive here. A living wage allows an individual to have shelter, food, and access to basic health care. A wage of $17 an hour ...