This American left US for China and found his version of the American Dream

“If you’d told me back then that I’d end up in China, I would’ve laughed,” Krae told CNBC. That changed in 2016, when at 27, he took a leap of faith, leaving the US for the first time to work as an English teacher in Shenzhen, a fast-growing tech hub bordering Hong Kong. He sold his car in North Carolina to fund the move. Nearly a decade later, Krae is still there, now with a family, a new career path and what he calls his version of the American Dream.

An unexpected move that led to a family

Krae’s move to China didn’t just reshape his career, it defined his personal life. He met his wife, a French teacher born in Tahiti to Chinese parents, while living in Shenzhen. The couple later moved to Tahiti during the pandemic after getting stuck in the US amid border closures.

Five years later, with two children under five, the family found themselves wanting something more. “There were parts of our life in Tahiti that we liked, but something was missing,” Krae told CNBC. “China still felt like our true home.” In June 2025, they returned to Shenzhen, a decision Krae describes as deeply meaningful. “I still feel so grateful for that first teaching job,” he told CNBC. “Landing it was something of an accident, but without it, I wouldn’t have my family and the life I have now.”

A lifestyle that costs a fraction of the US

Back in Shenzhen, Krae initially resumed teaching English, earning about $4,000 a month. Today, he works as a marketing manager earning roughly $3,500 monthly, along with an additional $1,200 from side gigs. Regardless of earning less than before, his expenses are significantly lower than in the US. According to Krae, his family rents a three-bedroom apartment for about $1,000 a month. Internet costs around $29, electricity averages $100, and groceries for a family of four come to roughly $100 monthly. Dining out is inexpensive, often under $10, while healthcare costs about $90 a month. “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,” he told CNBC.

Living in what feels like the future

What stands out most to Krae is how futuristic Shenzhen feels. “To me, Shenzhen is like if Silicon Valley and New York City had a baby in China,” he told CNBC.

He describes a city where drones can deliver food within minutes, autonomous taxis navigate neon-lit streets, and digital payments dominate everyday life. He rarely carries a wallet, relying instead on QR codes or biometric payments.

Public transport is equally efficient. “You can take the subway all the way across the city for about $0.30,” he noted. It was also in Shenzhen that Krae stumbled into an entirely new career path. At his wife’s suggestion, he began posting consistently on TikTok about life in China. The videos gained traction, turning him into an influencer and eventually opening doors to his current marketing role.

A place to raise his children

Beyond affordability and innovation, safety and quality of life played a major role in the family’s decision to return. “Shenzhen is very family-friendly, with plenty for kids to do,” Krae said, pointing to the city’s parks, indoor play areas and community activities.

Unlike in the US, he says he doesn’t feel the need to constantly worry about safety. “I have no need or desire to become a helicopter parent here,” he said, adding that his main concern is electric scooters on sidewalks.

His children are also growing up trilingual, speaking French with their mother, English with him, and learning Mandarin at a public kindergarten, which costs about $300 per semester for both children, including meals.

Krae says even he is surprised by where life has taken him. “No one is more surprised than me that I’ve found my own version of the American Dream here in China,” he told CNBC.