Changing countries continues to be a decision adopted by those looking for better living conditions and a more serene daily life. Many families look to Spain in search of a cheaper life, driven by the climate, culture and the idea of more moderate costs.
From dream to change
A family from the state of Connecticut, in the United States of America, sold their house and practically all their possessions with the aim of starting over in Spain. The decision was accelerated by personal factors, including the death of Izabela Oquendo’s father and her mother’s move to Poland.
According to the report made to the American news website Business Insider, the plan involved reducing expenses and gaining family time. The move took place in May 2025, with arrival in Alicante and settling into a one hundred and forty square meter apartment in a residential area with a strong presence of foreign residents.
Higher-than-expected costs
The financial reality did not meet expectations. The family claims that the monthly income is equivalent to what they paid in Connecticut and that the supermarket bill remained similar, nullifying the perception of immediate savings, explains the Spanish news website, Noticias Trabajo.
For Izabela, living in Spain in search of a cheaper life did not translate into an effective budget reduction. Choosing an area with high demand will have limited the margin for savings, along with price increases seen in the last two years.
Legal status and integration
Entry into the country was possible through Izabela’s Polish citizenship, applicable to herself and her children, while her husband obtained residency through family reunification. The process made it possible to stabilize the documentary situation and move forward with the search for housing alternatives.
The family is now studying the purchase of a house in more traditional areas, with Calpe as one of the options analyzed. The objective is to find more stable prices and a residential context that is less pressured by international demand, explains the same source.
Routines, work and school
On a professional level, Izabela reduced her work pace, maintaining clients in the United States of America and starting new personal projects. In two thousand and twenty-five he published a record about the process of change experienced during a motorhome trip.
The children went through an adaptation phase marked by the language barrier, which was worked on with classes and extracurricular activities. Over time, school integration progressed, using support programs and participation in summer camps, according to the same source.
Between cost and quality of life
Although costs have not decreased as expected, the family reports gains in time management and the rhythm of daily life. The priority became family life and the possibility of organizing life without the constant pressure of productivity.
The overall assessment is that the change did not result in an objectively cheaper lifestyle, but rather brought about a reconfiguration of priorities. The decision to stay is based on valuing the way they live, regardless of not having achieved the expected savings.
Next steps
The search for housing in another area appears as a way to make budget and stability compatible. The family intends, according to , to reconcile costs with a more local environment, reducing exposure to areas with greater tourist and residential demand.
Experience shows that moving to Spain may not guarantee, in itself, a cost reduction. Location, the rental market and price developments are factors that affect the initial objective of those who leave for Spain in search of a cheaper life.
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