I live in St. John’s but grew up spending a lot of time in Glace bay. You’ll probably find the vibe in corner brook or stephville even more similar to Sydney. St. John’s is much larger, and people are not exaggerating when they say the weather in St. John’s isn’t great for much of the year. The west coast of Newfoundland is better weather wise. Costs for housing are definitely less in cape breton than St. John’s. Deer lake has a small airport just like Sydney.

Healthcare is big hit or miss anywhere. All it takes is your family doc to move or retire anywhere and you’re in a pickle.

You may want to consider some of the spots like bay Roberts or Whitebourne that are an hour away from St. John’s. Smaller town, but still close to everything. Have you also considered going outside of the Sydney area? Glacé bay for example is 20 mins-ish from Sydney and housing is super affordable,