In my almost 10 years in Belo Horizonte, Brazil I have seen the exchange rate compared to the US Dollar oscillate from almost 4:1 in 2003 to a 10-year record low of 1.53:1 just a few months ago. When I moved here in I shared a large 4-bedroom apartment that initially cost around $250 US Dollars per month total – not per person. I currently live in a 3-bedroom apartment for almost $1000 US Dollars per month.