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Doug, 68, has worked for the last 40 years as a computer consultant — and the last three from his sailboat traversing Europe.
Doug moved a few times throughout his career, living in states such as California, Texas, Indiana, and Massachusetts. As he approached retirement age, he and his wife decided to retire outside the US, where prices were climbing, to fulfill their travel dreams. After buying a sailboat, they decided to relocate to Europe and explore as many destinations as they could without breaking the bank.
They now live on their boat on the French Riviera, which Doug said is cheaper than living in the US. Both still work, but they plan on retiring within two years. Doug asked to use his first name because his company doesn't know about his relocation.
"Our lives are much fuller of amazing sites and places to visit, much easier than coming all the way from the US, with castles everywhere, little villages in Provence and throughout Italy, and Michelin star restaurants all over," Doug told BI.
Doug was born and raised in Boston, where he started as a professional photographer. He moved to California to set up his studio, though he decided to leave the industry and find more stable employment. He saw an advertisement in the paper for a nine-month course reviewing three coding languages.
For the next four decades, Doug worked as a software engineer and consultant for various companies. He moved across the country for work, from Dallas to Indianapolis to Maine. He returned to New England, building his résumé and rising the ranks. His income "went through the roof," he said, though he also faced a divorce.
He decided to buy a sailboat and sailed to Fort Lauderdale shortly after 9/11, where he continued to work with Fortune 500 clients. He remarried 18 years ago to another engineer and moved to Florida permanently. Doug said the US was getting stale, as they couldn't find anywhere that excited them.
"We were looking for exposure to new things, to new sites, the idea of living your fullest life, exploring the most that you can, rather than getting that one piece of dirt somewhere like a split-level ranch somewhere in a cul de sac," Doug said. "We just couldn't accept that as a concept."
Doug and his wife had the idea of giving up programming once they were financially stable and moving to the Caribbean, but after various trips, they weren't satisfied by any of the islands. They had a strong stock portfolio and some annuities, and though they're not multimillionaires, they had enough to retire. They set their eyes on Europe instead.
"The goal of why we're here is to be able to explore all these unbelievably beautiful historical areas, as opposed to the original concept of the Caribbean or South America," Doug said. "The Caribbean would have been boring very quickly, but even South America doesn't have anywhere near the quality of life on so many different levels."
Doug traded his sailboat for a new 63-foot boat, shipped it to Italy for $30,000, and started their European adventures in Genoa in July 2021. Doug kept his contract positions, which he completed while sailing the Mediterranean.
"I had thought we were retiring, but I got a call from a headhunter and got an offer I couldn't refuse, so I started doing a contract while we were still in the US, and it carried forward as we moved to Europe," Doug said.
For the first few months, Doug was the sole income source before his wife found more work. He said that they were saving more money than they were in the US, even while eating out most nights and staying in hotels in upscale places.
That first summer, they sailed to Dubrovnik, Croatia, with major stops in Elba, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and Bari. At each stop, they stayed at the port for a few days, exploring each destination in between working hours.
Starting in October 2021, they stayed at a marina in Dubrovnik for $15,000 a year and shipped their vintage car from Fort Lauderdale to Croatia for $5,000. Though Americans are typically only allowed on a short-stay visa for 90 days, they stayed for a year through Croatia's digital nomad residence permit after proving they had remote jobs and enough money to be self-sustaining.
"We noticed our bank account rising faster than it had been in the US from the same income, so prices were clearly lower even though we were traveling a lot," Doug said, noting they took planes to cities such as London and Istanbul and drove to Vienna and Budapest.
In November 2022, they moved to Port Montenegro, a marina in the Montenegrin town of Tivat about 50 miles south of Dubrovnik. While in Montenegro, they flew to Cairo and visited Athens. Doug said flights are at most a few hundred dollars round-trip, with some totaling under $100.
The following April, they sailed for France, stopping in countries such as Malta, Tunisia, and Malta. Six months later, they settled in Port Grimaud on the French Riviera, paying $15,000 a year in marina costs as their "rent." They secured long-stay visas, which can be renewed every year until they become permanent in the fifth year.
They also each pay $2,000 a year for traveling insurance, though they're considering getting French tax ID numbers to enroll in the free healthcare system — which he said is "unbelievably better than the US." Doug's wife had an appointment with a cardiologist, including an EKG and cardiac sonogram, for 95 euros without insurance.
Port Grimaud is located just west of Saint-Tropez, though he said this area is less touristy and much quieter. During the week, Doug works from around 3 p.m. to midnight to match his client's schedule in the US.
On the whole, Doug said costs have been lower in France than in the US. They pay much less for marina fees like renting a boat slip than they did in the US, and boat insurance is about equivalent. He bought a car in France for the same price as a very similar car in the US but with twice the miles per gallon.
Doug estimates food prices are slightly lower for comparable restaurants or grocery stores in the US but often far higher quality, noting the food is often fresher with fewer added chemicals. He said he's gone to Michelin-star restaurants in France for under 100 euros for two people, adding that tipping is rare. He said wine prices at stores and restaurants in France are sometimes three to four times cheaper than what he paid for similar bottles in the US.
He said there aren't many big box stores near where he lives, noting that the prices for daily expenses may be higher for some items because the quality is generally higher. Still, clothing prices are comparable and better quality than in the US — he said he got a custom-made jacket in France for the equivalent of about $400, whereas a lower-quality jacket at Macy's would be $700.
He said it's hard to compare housing prices, though he said comparably sized houses are generally cheaper in France and are built much sturdier.
Doug added that education is typically free or inexpensive in France, and he's noticed many children in his area speak three or four languages.
Doug said the French locals have been welcoming and helpful, and they've felt safer than in the US. He said in Florida, people would often try to walk on his boat or take photos by the helm, but he's felt much safer protecting his property in France.
Doug said they hope to retire in April 2026 and remain in Europe, as he expects they will still bring in about $80,000 a year from retirement accounts and passive income. Before that, they have trips planned to Majorca, Lisbon, and the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Xian.
"We'll be able to yacht here, have our Mercedes here, and still travel all that we feel like doing," Doug said. "We'll still be able to go out to dinner whenever we want, and we're not going to have to follow any tight budget. If we feel like buying an extra bottle of wine or a leather jacket, we'll be able to do it."
Have you recently left the United States for a new country? Reach out to this reporter at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.
