She said “olá” to a low-cost, no-stress life in Lisbon.
An American expat who left Los Angeles to live in Portugal says she’s happier than ever since moving abroad four years ago.
Kaitlin Wichmann says she felt unfulfilled at her marketing gig in La La Land and took a leap of faith by quitting her full-time job to go freelance.
“Every day going into my job, parking in the same spot, going to the same desk, staring at the same wall — I was just like, ‘There has to be more to life than this,’” the now 31-year-old told CNBC.
Wichmann relocated to Lisbon in 2021, enticed by the city’s warm weather and focus on healthy activity.
The Kansas native now works no more than 20 hours per week as a freelance digital marketer “helping American and Portuguese clients with their online advertising.”
The millennial makes around $7,000 USD most months, which is more than enough to support her relatively affordable life in Lisbon.
“I definitely feel happier and more at peace here,” Wichmann told CNBC, saying she now has far more time to pursure her hobbies.
“When I was living in Los Angeles, pretty much my life revolved around work,” she added. “[Now] my life revolves around my life with work scattered in.”
Wichmann broke down her spending for the month of June, revealing she spent $3457 — less than half of her average earnings.
Rent and utilities were just just $1296, while food costs were just $500 for the month. It gave the millennial ample spending money for things such as travel, tennis lessons and shopping.
Indeed, many expats have been lured to Portugal since the onset of the Covid pandemic, with its low costs and easy access to visas.
In 2022, Portugal unveiled a D8 Digital Nomad Visa for non-EU citizens working for a foreign company. The influx of expats has driven up costs and left some Portuguese citizens disillusioned.
But unlike most digital nomads who plan to eventually leave Portugal, Wichmann says she’s invested in staying in the country long-term.
“When I moved to Lisbon, my plan was to live here at least five years and then decide where I wanted to go after that,” she stated. “[Now] I don’t see myself moving anywhere else, at least outside of Portugal. I just really like it here.”
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