By dollars, I mean Zimbabwe dollars

No I mean quitting tech to be a bus driver

There is some truth in the common refrain of “Americans overspend on cars, junk, etc”, but the answer to your question is very fucking expensive. I moved to the french Riviera and my cost of living went way down compared to Florida. And that includes going from employer funded healthcare to paying out of pocket for all health care in France. Everything is cheaper, food, car, insurance, I even spend less on fuel because I only need to drive once per week so I only fill my car up with 7€/gallon gas every few weeks.

HEB means you probably saved 40% on your grocery bill each month. If you had to shop at Publix in Florida your monthly would be $1000+/month. Your insurance might also be double on both car and home.

Is this… A real possibility?

Many of the ones who cared stayed home

Yes but what about the Epstein files?