Why are the only options living together or break up? Can you not both move close to one another but not live together? Or just do a long distance thing for a while, if you're serious a year apart shouldn't be too hard (I'm assuming you're within visiting distance of each other).
This has happened to me twice, first time the relationship was pretty new (couple of months) but we ended up breaking up about 8 months down the line because our lives were going in separate directions. This time round we had already been together quite a while and my plan has always been to move back to where he lives, things haven't quite worked out and although I'm closer than if I had stayed at home we're still 3 hours apart. It's going OK for now, it's hard being apart but if you know it's only temporary then it's not so bad. Just have to make the most of the time you do spend together. This is life, it's rare that you'll always end up in the same place your partner does, I know loads of couples who've had years apart in their relationship (my own parents included, my dad lived abroad for 2 years and my mum stayed in England.)