36-year-old left the U.S. for China—now pays $1,000 rent and $100 for groceries for family of 4: It's my 'version of the American Dream’

As a kid, I moved around a lot. I was born in California, but I've lived in Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina, Virginia, Montana and Oklahoma. I never had the chance to call anywhere "home" for too long. So if you'd told me back then that I'd end up in China, I would've laughed.

I visited China for the first time in 2016. I was 27 years old and got a job as an English teacher in Shenzhen, a fast-growing tech hub just across the border from Hong Kong. I sold my car and used the money to buy a plane ticket from North Carolina. I had never been outside the U.S. before.

Over the next four years, living in Asia gave me the chance to travel to places like Cambodia and Thailand. I loved traveling because it was a profound chance to test my courage and resilience, find meaning and expand my worldview.

Today, I live in Shenzhen with my wife and our two kids. Here's why it's one of the best decisions I've ever made.

1. I met my wife and started a family

My wife was born in Tahiti and both her parents are from China. When we met, she was working here as a French teacher.

When the pandemic hit, we'd been living in China for three years and were on vacation in the U.S. With the borders closed, my wife and I decided to relocate to Tahiti to be closer to her parents.

Five years later, we had two kids under five. There were parts of our life in Tahiti that we liked, but something was missing. China still felt like our true home and we returned to Shenzhen in June 2025.

I still feel so grateful for that first teaching job. Landing it was something of an accident, but without it, I wouldn't have my family and the life I have now.

2. I spend less money than I would in the U.S.

After we got back to Shenzhen in 2025, I continued my career as an English teacher, making around $4,000 a month.

We rent a three-bedroom apartment for around $1,000 a month. Internet costs about $29, and electricity averages $100.

We spend roughly $100 a month on groceries for our family of four. When we eat out, it's rare to spend more than $10 total. We also pay about $90 a month for healthcare.

All told, I'm paying about a fourth of the cost of what I used to pay for my monthly expenses when I lived in the U.S. — and that was when I was living by myself.

3. I feel like I'm living in the future

To me, Shenzhen is like if Silicon Valley and New York City had a baby in China. It is a bustling tech capital with surprises on every corner.

Flying drones deliver food in 15 minutes or less and autonomous taxis drive on streets awash with sparkling neon lights. There is a real cyberpunk energy here.

Public transportation is also great. The subway goes everywhere and they build the lines so quickly and efficiently. You can take the subway all the way across the city for about $0.30.

I also don't generally walk around with a wallet or keys. If I need to pay for something, I use my phone, scan a QR code or use biometrics, like a hand print. It's super convenient.

4. My job is flexible and pays well

When we lived in Tahiti, I also taught English and I made a few videos about that. But in 2025, my wife suggested that I start posting consistently on TikTok to give people a look at what life is like in China.

I started an account, the videos took off and before I knew it, I was something of an influencer. This led to more opportunities, which landed me a full-time job as a marketing manager in February.

It's a more traditional job than what I'm used to, and it does pay a little bit less than my teaching gig. Now I'm making closer to $3,500 a month, plus roughly $1,200 a month from my side gigs.

But I'm not stuck at a desk all day. My company is flexible with hours, which gives me time to pursue other side hustles and interests, and I can take work home with me.

5. I feel like I can safely raise my kids here

Shenzhen is very family-friendly, with plenty for kids to do. The city has more than 1,000 parks, thousands of indoor play spaces and a wide range of community activities for families.

I have no need or desire to become a helicopter parent here. I'm not worried about things like gun violence. My main safety concern is the electric scooters flying down the sidewalks.

My kids are also growing up trilingual. My wife speaks French with them, they speak English with me, and they learn Mandarin at their school, a public Chinese kindergarten. That costs around $300 per semester for both kids, including food.

Overall, I've also found the food at our kid's school — and what is available at our local grocery stores — to be much healthier than what you'd find in the U.S.

No one is more surprised than me that I've found my own version of the American Dream here in China.

Bradley Krae is a writer, content creator and marketing manager. He lives in Shenzhen, China with his wife and two children.

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