Is one neopoint similar to one dollar

No. A dollar is much more real than a neopoint. If you offer someone in a shop in real life a neopoint for a soda, they will not take it. However, if you offer them a dollar, and the soda is worth a dollar or less, the will take it from you, and give you the soda. This system of value exchange emerged after the system of 'barter' (where people would haggle over a trade, until they both got something they wanted out of it) proved inadequate in a more modern, fast-paced world. However, if you really wanted to, you could try offering the person in the shop a chicken for the soda, as you can be assured the chicken has much more value than the neopoint. I do not know how many dollars a single chicken is worth, though I assume it is more than just one. With a single chicken, you may be able to obtain a soda, or, if you are very lucky, more than one soda. You could then share the extra soda with your friends! They will be happy that you have given them a gift, and may repay you some time in the future with another gift.