Feb 18, 2025
Despite previously living on a higher income, Cara West says her family is happier and doing better financially after moving from Texas to Greece back in June.
“I feel like when we were living in the U.S., even though we were making more money, we still felt like we were living paycheck to paycheck and we just couldn’t enjoy the little things,” West told CNBC’s Make It in a story published Jan. 29.
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Now, her family is managing well on her income — she made $136,000 in 2024. Her husband, who previously worked as a restaurant manager, has become a stay-at-home dad to their daughter. They’re also on a path to paying off their sizable credit card debt.
“[It] has been the biggest change for our family — to be able to spend more time with each other, to just have a slower pace of life,” she said.
The decision to move abroad
The shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022 was the final straw in the family’s decision to move away, according to CNBC. West and her husband wanted to raise their child in a place they felt was safe.
They spent a year hopping between different countries, including Portugal and Belize, before settling down on Syros, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. West is a luxury travel concierge and content creator, which allows her the flexibility to work remotely. She was able to acquire a digital nomad visa and apply for permanent residency while in Greece.
Not only are they enjoying their new lifestyle, but they've found it to be more affordable than what it was in Texas. According to Numbeo, the cost of living, including rent, in Syros is around 40% lower than Austin, which is where the couple was living previously.
On top of being able to afford more small luxuries, such as eating at restaurants, the couple is able to aggressively pay down their large credit card debt, which was around $62,000, per CNBC.
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The cost to settle in Greece
Moving their entire life to Greece came with a hefty upfront price tag. West and her husband spent around $5,880 in moving expenses, CNBC says, including the cost of flights, visa application fees and lawyer fees.
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Costs can be heightened during periods of transition, especially if you have a lot of stuff to move and a lot of paperwork to get through. But moving to a location with a lower cost of living can come with long-term financial benefits.
The broadcaster compared some of the family’s costs between Greece and the U.S.:
- Greece: $1,430 for rent, including utilities, internet and house cleaning; U.S.: $1,530 without utilities
- Greece: $500 for health insurance, without copays or deductibles; U.S.: $910 with copays and deductibles
- Greece: $300 for child care; U.S.: $1,000
If you’re thinking of moving abroad from the U.S., you should be aware of the challenges, such as visa eligibility and conflicting tax systems. Hiring an attorney familiar with both local and U.S. laws can be key, especially if any paperwork needs to be translated.
Your income and savings might ultimately guide your decision on whether or not to move abroad. But apart from the financials, West suggests you might find a more peaceful existence outside the U.S.
“It is truly such a more fulfilling, more richer life abroad,” she said. “Just being able to see the world, to meet new people, to experience a new language, cultures, traditions — it’s just so special and something that we aren’t really exposed to enough in the United States.”
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Maurie Backman has been writing professionally for well over a decade. Since becoming a full-time writer, she's produced thousands of articles on topics ranging from Social Security to investing to real estate.
