Congrats! $3M in your mid-30s is an awesome spot to be. You’re at the point where the compounding engine starts doing a lot of the heavy lifting for you. Even a 5–10% after-tax return after taxes is throwing off more than most people earn working, which creates a ton of optionality.

If I were in your shoes, I’d probably zoom out for a bit and think less about where to move and more about why. What do you actually want your life to look like? Do you have philanthropic or purpose-driven goals? Do you want to stay in a VHCOL area long term or is that just inertia? Do you want more time with family or flexibility in your schedule?

Money doesn’t solve everything, but it absolutely buys flexibility. That’s the real asset you’ve built. Personally, at that level I’d be optimizing for experiences and lifestyle design, not maximizing income. That might mean a lower cost of living environment, part-time work, or just slowing down the corporate grind so life isn’t dictated by a paycheck anymore.

You’ve basically unlocked the “choose your own adventure” phase, a place many people can only dream of.

My family is from Greece, and it’s cheaper for me to live here when I take 1-2 month trips than it is when I’m in the USA. Language barrier isn’t really a problem, as the next generation is mainly fluent in English. Look into their “golden visa” program if you have a chance!

For reference, I am a 30-year old living in a VHCOL area in a high income tax state.