Why these 4 Americans moved abroad and don’t plan to return

These days, the American dream for many is leaving the United States.

With the high cost of living, political tensions and the often exhausting culture of the hustle and bustle, there are many reasons for Americans to seek a different way of life in another country. They may want to see their money go further or desire a more relaxed culture.

Regardless of their reasons, many of the Americans living abroad interviewed by CNBC Make It report increased life satisfaction and little desire to return to the United States.

Here’s why four Americans who have settled abroad don’t plan to return for a while.

For Cara West, her daughter’s safety was a major factor in choosing to relocate. West and her family lived in Austin, Texas, in 2022 when the deadly mass shooting occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

“There were so many things that started to come to light after I became a mother in the US that made me really realize that the US doesn’t really support families, mothers and children,” she told CNBC Make It earlier this year.

The 33-year-old luxury travel concierge and content creator first brought her family to Portugal in January 2023 to give life abroad a three-month trial. The slower pace of life in Europe had an immediate impact.

″[My husband] I saw how happy I was, how much glow I had, how much time we were spending with each other and as a family,” West said.

From Portugal, they returned to the US and began planning and packing their lives in Texas. By July 2023, when their apartment lease was up, West and her husband were ready to start living as digital nomads. After nearly a year of roaming around, they settled in Syros, Greece, in June 2024.

“In the United States, it’s all about the culture of hustle, and your worth is tied to your productivity,” West said. “But here in Greece…rest is really appreciated.”

She and her family have also enjoyed the ease of traveling around the rest of Greece from their home on the island of Syros.

“It’s really easy to get around the country. You can take ferries, you can take flights,” says West. “Overall, our life is much more satisfying here in Greece.”

West is excited to raise her family and give her daughter a global education through homeschooling and continued travel.

“Just being able to see the world, meet new people, experience a new language, cultures, traditions — it’s just so special and something we’re not exposed to enough of in the United States,” she said.

Steven Guo first became an entrepreneur as a pre-teen hosting Minecraft servers. Since then, he has continued to build successful businesses. Now in his early 20s, he has founded several e-commerce brands on track to bring in nearly $2 million in combined revenue this year.

Despite that financial success — which earned Guo a salary of more than $250,000 this year — he chose to move to Bali, Indonesia, where it costs a “fraction” of what he used to pay to live in Southern California.

“I’m definitely much happier in Bali because of the great lifestyle,” Guo previously told Make It. “Bali is truly a place where my work-life balance finally makes sense.”

Guo spends his mornings working and usually goes surfing or exploring outside in the afternoons. He shares a four-bedroom Airbnb in Canggu, a resort village on the south coast with ideal surfing conditions.

“I spend a lot of time with my friends. I also spend a lot of time doing the activities I like,” Guo said.

Although he makes a good living, Guo knows how success can change quickly for a business. He lives frugally to ensure he can navigate any challenge or obstacle, which he is able to do without skimping on quality in Bali.

“I don’t usually like to spend a lot of money on myself,” he said. “Most of my spending is on food, but if I do spend money, it’s usually on gifts for my family or my girlfriend.”

At first, Iceland seemed like a wild card for New York native Jewells Chambers. But after living there for more than eight years, she now makes a living sharing the place with her thousands of podcast and YouTube subscribers.

“It felt like there was something magnetic that pulled me in that direction, and I haven’t been able to put my finger on it yet,” Chambers said of her move to Iceland. “I know it has to do with nature because it has been and continues to be such a rejuvenating part for me.”

Chambers was inspired to move abroad when she was in high school in Brooklyn.

“As the professor was talking about the US economy and politics, something in my brain was like, ‘I don’t think I should live in the US,'” she said.

After college, she ended up marrying an Icelandic man in 2015. He wanted to return to his country, and Chambers came on board after she got a job with an Icelandic tour company. The couple moved to Iceland in 2016.

To better her job as a marketer, Chambers began trying out some of the unique outdoor adventures Iceland has to offer. “Her life changed,” she said. “It was all about nature and understanding and respect and then being able to market that to our potential customers. And I loved it.”

Chambers started her podcast, All Things Iceland, in 2018 as a way to share her experiences and answer questions her friends and family had about her expat journey. In August 2020, she quit her day job to focus on All Things Iceland full time.

She and her husband divorced in 2023, but her business has continued to grow and has allowed her to live well in Iceland while taking full advantage of the country’s natural beauty and financial advantages. She pays no health insurance premiums, for example.

“When I made that decision and took my foot off that day when I came into the country full-time, it just felt good and it continued to feel that way,” Chambers said. “So for the foreseeable future, Iceland is my home.”

Valerie Valcourt made it, by some standards, earning over $100,000 a year working in tech in Seattle. But “the pay was not worth the damage to my mental health,” she previously told CNBC Make It.

Valcourt decided to fulfill a childhood dream of attending pastry school in France, where she now lives. She originally applied and was due to start her pastry training in 2021, but didn’t feel financially prepared at the time.

When she finally moved to France in 2022, she planned to stay for just seven months. But her internship was extended and she landed a full-time job in November 2023. She now plans to stay in France for the foreseeable future, she said earlier this year.

“I’m happier here than in the U.S. It’s been lovely,” Valcourt said. “I love being able to travel, access to nature, discovering new parts of the country. It’s been a lot of fun. And of course, all the pastries.”

She’s taking home a fraction of the six-figure salary she earned working in tech, now earning about $30,000 a year in France. But Valcourt pays far less in rent and says fresh, quality food is affordable in the French countryside.

Additionally, Valcourt appreciates the French lifestyle, which feels more relaxing than the American rush-hour culture that has burned him out. “French culture is like when it’s time to relax, it’s time to relax, and also to have a glass of wine now and then,” she said.

However, she expects to eventually return to the US.

“My family and friends are there and I miss them more than I can say,” she said. “And it’s important that one day I return to my roots and bring what I’ve learned from France to the U.S.”

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