In order to properly evaluate the strenght of a country's currency, you should not just compare it to dollars, there are some stuff to be taken into consideration: what is the minimal wage, what is the medium wage, how much taxes are into the products, how much taxes people pay, what are the services provided by the government, such as health care and education, the costs of living... Like, from what I've seen, the costs of housing in America are waaaaaay more expensive than here. You gotta take all that and see how much the average person can afford on a day to day basis, how is his standart of living.