‘I could not afford the American Dream:’ This retired US veteran relocated to Brazil after struggling with the cost of living
kraken ссылка
After spending years traveling the world while working in the United States military, Christopher Boris dreamed of one day moving overseas permanently.
But the retired veteran, who grew up in New Jersey but was based in Maryland at the time, ended up relocating earlier than he’d intended after struggling to cope with the rising cost of living.
“I really couldn’t afford my mortgage payments and my utilities anymore,” Boris tells CNN Travel.
“I struggled. I was living off of VA disability,” Boris says, referring to a tax-free monetary benefit paid to veterans with disabilities. “And I said, ‘I think my money could go a lot longer living overseas.’”
In the summer of 2024, Boris and his wife Maria Jesus, originally from Bolivia, left the US to start a new life in Brazil.
“I could not afford the American Dream,” he says.
According to Boris, they had been struggling financially for at least five years, but things came to a head when he left his government job in 2022.
“It was a year-long decision,” he adds. “My wife and I were always talking about moving overseas.”
While they considered moving to Bolivia, the couple ultimately chose to settle in neighboring country Brazil, a destination that they’d previously lived in between 2007 and 2008, when Boris was stationed there.
“We chose Brazil, and Rio specifically, because of the higher quality of life,” explains Boris, adding that their experiences using the medical care system in the country had been positive, and they knew that they could live comfortably there.
