In 2019, Chanel Rivers took a visit to London that will change your complete trajectory of her life.
Born and raised in New York, Rivers, now 35, says she was bored with the courting scene and worrying about her security within the Huge Apple.
She booked a visit to London with a pal and realized how comfy she felt strolling across the metropolis, one thing she not felt in New York.
“I bear in mind simply strolling round London and being like, ‘I really feel like that is the place I am presupposed to be.’ It was a sense that came to visit me,” Rivers says. “In London, I simply really feel like my anxiousness has lessened so much, which is nice.”
Shortly after Rivers obtained again to New York, she began determining how one can return to London completely, however the Covid-19 pandemic introduced her plans to an entire halt. Through the pandemic, Rivers met her now fiancé, Martin, an architect from Canada who was residing and dealing in New York.
Rivers was born and raised in New York.
Chanel Rivers
After 4 and a half years of courting, Rivers introduced up shifting to London once more to her fiancé. She admits that the sensation of wanting to maneuver did not go away, and he or she did not see herself being in New York long-term anymore.
“I thought-about Canada, and we did have a look at Vancouver, however it was not metropolis sufficient for me. Being from New York, I wanted a giant metropolis. London was at all times the plan for me in my coronary heart,” she says.
Across the identical time that Rivers introduced up getting the transfer to London going, her fiancé’s job supplied him a place of their workplace there. It was one thing she says was “very serendipitous however meant to be.”
Since Martin was already a U.Ok. citizen, Rivers solely wanted to use for a companion visa, which was permitted in March 2024.
Chanel is a part of small however rising pattern of People relocating to the U.Ok. Greater than 6,000 U.S. residents utilized to both turn into British topics or to reside and work within the nation indefinitely from March 2024 to March 2025, probably the most because the U.Ok.’s House Workplace started maintaining information in 2004, in accordance with The Guardian.
Whats up, London
In October 2024, the couple moved right into a two-bedroom, one-bathroom condo with a non-public backyard in West London with out ever seeing it in particular person. The hire was 2,400 kilos or USD $3,159 once they first moved in and has since elevated to 2,515.20 kilos or $3,311, in accordance with paperwork reviewed by CNBC Make It.
The condo was unfurnished, in a townhouse fairly than a bigger constructing, and did not have a doorman, in contrast to the trendy one they lived in again in New York Metropolis. The couple did not ship any of their furnishings over as a result of it was too costly. The primary night time they spent within the condo, they slept in sleeping baggage on the ground and used their suitcases as a eating desk.
“We wished one thing with character. We informed ourselves we wished one thing totally different once we moved right here and we wished one thing that felt very London in order that we had a distinct residing expertise than we did within the U.S.,” Rivers says.
Rivers, her fiancé and their canine moved to London in October 2024.
Chanel Rivers
Rivers was in a position to hold her $120,000 a 12 months job in occasion planning and advertising and marketing by means of the top of 2024.
After that, she began on the lookout for a place in London, which she says helped her discover the town as she traveled for interviews and labored out of native espresso retailers. Rivers says she by no means had homesickness or regretted the transfer, however she admits that she was nonetheless nervous about being in a brand new metropolis.
“I used to be so intimidated by London as a result of it is so massive and I used to be type of scared to exit by myself. I do not know what occurred to that courageous lady from 2019, however I assume the whole lot simply felt so actual now, and it was hitting me,” she provides.
One 12 months later and the price of residing in London
Now that Rivers and her fiancé have lived in London for just a little over a 12 months, they’ve settled in properly, she says. Rivers discovered a London-based job working as an occasion planner. Rivers didn’t wish to disclose her wage, however says that though she did take a pay minimize, she’s proud of it and spends much less cash than she did whereas residing in New York.
“I’ve discovered that I usually spend much less now, largely as a result of I am not socializing as a lot as I did in New York. In London, life is a bit quieter however in a great way,” she says. “I nonetheless make time to see new pals and meet new folks however I am going out much less. Plus, since I earn much less right here, I am extra conscious about the place my cash goes.”
Rivers and her fiancé additionally cut up their bills proportionally based mostly on their incomes.
“My fiancé makes the equal of what he made within the U.S., so he is type of carrying the staff proper now, which is nice,” she provides.
Rivers and her fiancé moved into an condo with out seeing it in particular person.
Chanel Rivers
Rivers’ share of the month-to-month residing bills breakdown is as follows, in accordance with paperwork reviewed by CNBC Make It:
- Hire = 1,215 kilos or $1,599
- Cellphone = 49.70 kilos or $65
- Web/Wi-Fi = 20 kilos or $26
- Water = 59.78 kilos or $79
- Electrical energy = 121 kilos or $159
- Groceries = 300 kilos or $395
- Transportation = 115 kilos or $151
- Amazon Prime = 8.99 kilos or $12
- Pet insurance coverage = 25.21 kilos or $33
- Apple TV = $12.99
Rivers’ largest month-to-month bills are hire, groceries and electrical energy, she says. She commutes to the workplace 3 times per week and tends to purchase lunch on these days.
Since shifting to London, Rivers and her fiancé say they’ve additionally been in a position to make the most of the town’s location by taking native day journeys on the prepare and touring to Eire and Mallorca.
“It is very nice to have simpler entry to touring. I really feel like within the U.S., you go on a visit every year and that is it. It is good that we are able to hop on a prepare and go to Paris for an evening or hop on a aircraft and go to Spain,” she says. “The touring can be a giant a part of why we wished to maneuver.
Regardless of it taking some time to get settled, Rivers says she feels they made the correct resolution.
“I’ve solely felt like that is the correct path and the place I am presupposed to be. Even the mundane issues I do right here excite me,” she says. “I really feel like I am in all probability in a honeymoon part however I really feel day-after-day that I made the correct selection. I do not suppose I see myself residing within the U.S. now that I do know what it is wish to reside a way of life exterior of that.”
Rivers says she would not see herself shifting again to the U.S.
Chanel Rivers
Rivers says shifting again to the U.S. in all probability is not within the playing cards for her, however she may ultimately get on board with shifting to Canada after residing out her London dream for a couple of extra years.
“Canada wasn’t as thrilling for the place I am at in life proper now. I wished one thing just a little bit extra thrilling, like New York, however totally different. I believe once I become old, if we had been to maneuver again and we wished to be nearer to household, then Canada can be the place we transfer to,” she says.
Conversions from British Kilos to USD had been achieved utilizing the OANDA conversion charge of 0.76 kilos to $1 USD on Nov. 11, 2025. All quantities are rounded to the closest greenback.
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