'Our work made us feel like passing ships - we’re moving from the UK to Portugal for a slower pace of living'

A couple who admit they "have it all" are ditching the UK for Portugal after getting "burnout" - despite the fact they won't "save any money".

Ellie, 28, and Dan Curry, 30, have a settled life in Liverpool - they have good jobs, a house and three cats and a dog. But the couple were still finding themself in a "cycle of becoming burnout" and felt they didn't have much "quality time" together.

Dan, a pharmacist, grew up in the Algarve from the age of eight to 18 and his parents still live there so the pair have decided on Portugal as their destination. They are currently working their notices before moving out to Portimão, Algarve in January 2026 with their animals in tow. They will stay with Dan's parents before looking for their own place and will rent out their UK home in case they do decide to return.

The couple say they won't be saving any money as they'll be taking a pay cut to start a business and say the average rent of a two bed flat is £1,300-a-month compared to their current £1,500-a-month mortgage. But they say it's worth it for a "slower pace of living".

Ellie, a pharmacy technician, said: "We've got it all but we're still unfulfilled. Without sounding ungrateful - you can have lovely things but not be happy. We've achieved everything we could have wanted to. We kept getting into cycles of burnout.

"It won't feel cheaper. We'll be earning the local money. We won't save any money doing it. It's not about cost for us."

Ellie and Dan bought their home in Liverpool in October 2023 and tied the knot in July 2024. But with Dan working 9am to 6pm and often getting called in at weekends and Ellie working 8am to 4pm they felt like "passing ships".

Ellie said: "We don't have quality time. We're so tired when we're with one another."

Dan said: "The nature of the job is you pick up extra shifts. I want to do as much as I can for the community. The hours in the day I have energy I spend with patients. We're burnout but that's all you know."

"I would like to invest my better quality hours into my marriage - and for my future kids."

Dan spent his childhood in Portugal and said his school days often consisted of a two and a half hour lunch break at the beach, which he said was within walking distance.

He already speaks Portuguese and Ellie is going to university once a week to learn.

They plan to start a business in hospitality to help give back to the community - instead of earning money from the UK and spending it in Portugal.

Ellie said: "That distorts the economy. I'm looking forward to a slower pace of life. I'm so on the go."

“The cost of living - it's similar. When we've been for food shops - the food is the same price. Rental prices are the same."

They currently pay a £1,500 monthly mortgage and say rental prices average between £1,130 to £1,700 a month in Portimão.

Ellie said: "We're starting all over again. We want to seek fulfilment and happiness."

You can follow the couple on TikTok @elliemovingtoportugal.