A North Carolina man moved to Spain in 2018 and never looked back. Lower cost of living, universal healthcare, and a walkable city reshaped his priorities.
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Kevin Schreck, a 33-year-old from North Carolina, moved to Valencia, Spain in 2018 expecting to stay a couple of years. He ended up staying permanently.
Schreck came through a Spanish program that places native English speakers in public schools. He earned €1,000 a month, enough to split a €700 apartment with his partner and still save. The visa process was straightforward, he said in an interview with Business Insider.
After the program, he obtained permanent residency and is now working on citizenship. He and his husband bought a 592-square-foot flat for about €150,000. Their mortgage is €604 a month.
Groceries run €80 to €100 a week for two people. A dinner out costs about €25 per person. Spain's universal healthcare system means no bills or copays, Schreck said.
Valencia's size, under one million people, makes it less overwhelming than Barcelona or Madrid. Schreck lives a 30-second walk from the grocery store and a 10–15 minute walk from friends. The metro gets him to the airport in 20 minutes.
Schreck said he does not intend to move back to the US. He and his husband are adopting a child. He cited safety, bilingual education, and a slower pace of life as reasons.
"It's funny to think back to 2018, when my plan was to just be in Spain for a while," Schreck said. "Now my life looks completely different."
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