ALICANTE — Brian Hodge and his family sold their house in Providence, Rhode Island last year and moved to Spain on a three-year visa. They arrived in a coastal neighborhood of Alicante, Spain in early June.

In their Providence, Rhode Island suburb, day care costs were higher than their mortgage. Grocery and utility prices in their Providence suburb had risen in recent years. Hodge's wife suggested relocating to Alicante because she had studied there in college.

Their children now attend a private bilingual preschool in Alicante at about half the cost of day care in the United States. Hodge and his wife are pursuing freelance and remote work while living in Spain.

Their neighborhood in Alicante includes cafés, playgrounds, a beach, and trams and buses to villages in the Costa Blanca region. Alicante is a city on the Mediterranean Sea.

They have navigated Spanish bureaucracy since moving to Spain. Routine tasks in Spain such as getting a library card or filling a prescription have added complexity due to language differences.

Their self-reported stress levels are lower in Spain than in the United States. Strangers in Alicante often smile, lend a hand with doors, and offer seats on public buses.

Their children have become fluent in ordering helado in Spanish. Cafés, public squares, and playgrounds in their Alicante neighborhood frequently have children playing until late in the evening.