These 4 Americans moved abroad—and don't plan on coming back anytime soon: ‘I'm happier here'

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

With its high cost of living, political tensions and often exhausting hustle culture, there are numerous reasons Americans seek a different lifestyle in another country. They may want to see their money go further or crave 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 States.

Here's why four Americans who have settled abroad don't plan on coming back for some time. 

'Our life is just so much more fulfilling'

For Cara West, her daughter's safety was a major factor in choosing to relocate to another country. 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 becoming a mother in the U.S. that made me truly understand that the U.S. does not really support families and 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 living abroad a three-month trial. The slower pace of life in Europe had an immediate impact.

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

From Portugal, they returned to the U.S. and started planning and packing up their life in Texas. By July of 2023, when the lease on their apartment ended, West and her husband were ready to begin 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 hustle culture and your worth is tied into your productivity," West said. "But here in Greece ... rest is really valued."

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 the ferries, you can take flights," West says. "Overall, our life is just so much more fulfilling here in Greece."

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

"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," she said.

'A place where my work-life balance finally makes sense'

Steven Guo first became an entrepreneur as a preteen hosting Minecraft servers. Since then, he's continued to build successful businesses. Now in his early 20s, he's 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 over $250,000 this year — he chose to move to Bali, Indonesia, where it costs a "fraction" of what he was previously paying to live in Southern California.

"I'm definitely much happier in Bali because of how great the lifestyle is," Guo previously told Make It. "Bali really is a place where my work-life balance finally makes sense."

Guo spends his mornings working and typically goes surfing or explores the outdoors in the afternoons. He splits a four-bedroom Airbnb in Canggu, a resort village on the southern coast with ideal surfing conditions.

"I get to spend tons of time with my friends. I also get to spend a lot of time doing the activities that I like," Guo said.

Though he makes a decent living, Guo knows how success can change quickly for a business. He lives frugally to help ensure he can navigate any challenges or setbacks, which he's able to do without skimping on quality in Bali.

"I typically don't like to spend too much money on myself," he said. "Most of my expenses go towards food, but if I do spend money, it's typically towards gifts for family or my girlfriend."

'It just felt right and it has continued to feel that way'

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

"It felt as if there was something magnetic that has been pulling me in this direction, and I still haven't been able to put my finger on it exactly," Chambers said of her move to Iceland. "I know it has something to do with the nature, because that has been and continues to be such a rejuvenating piece for me."

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

"While the professor was talking about U.S. economics and politics, something in my brain was just like, 'I don't think I'm meant to live in the U.S.,'" she said.

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

To do her job as a marketer better, Chambers started trying some of the unique outdoor adventures Iceland has to offer. Her "life changed," she said. "Everything became about nature and understanding, respecting and then being able to market that out to our potential customers. And I loved it."

Chambers started her own 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 left 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 allowed her to live well in Iceland while taking full advantage of the country's natural beauty and financial advantages. She doesn't pay any health insurance premiums, for example.

"When I made that decision and stepped my foot down that day when I came to the country full time, it just felt right and it has continued to feel that way," Chambers said. "So for the foreseeable future, Iceland is my home."

Her Seattle tech salary 'wasn't worth the detriment to my mental health'

Valerie Valcourt had it made, by some standards, earning over $100,000 a year working in tech in Seattle. But "the paycheck wasn't worth the detriment 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 initially applied and was going to start her pastry chef training in 2021, but she 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's now planning on staying 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, the accessibility to nature, discovering new parts of the country. It's been so much fun. And of course, all of the pastries."

She's making a fraction of the six-figure salary she earned working in tech, now earning about $30,000 a year in France. But Valcourt pays considerably 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 hustle culture that burned her out. "The French culture is like, when it's time to rest, it's time to rest, and also have a glass of wine every now and then," she said.

Still, she expects to return to the U.S. eventually.

"My family and friends are there, and I miss them more than I can say," she said. "And it feels important to one day go back to my roots and bring what I've learned from France to the U.S."

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