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Living in Mels

In Mels, rent averages €14.22 per m² a month (2021).

For Mels, the resident counts list 7,649 Swiss permanent residents and 13 non-permanent residents at the end of 2024. Its population was 9,581 at the end of 2024.

Last checked 2026-10-1025 sources

Population9,581people31 Dec 2024Official source · Switzerland official denominator source
Median gross salary (region)6,952EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch
Average net rent14.22EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2021Official source · Durchschnittliche Wohnungsnettomietpreise in CHF/m² nach Wohnungsgrösse, Kanton St.Gallen, Wahlkreise und Gemeinden, Zeitraum 2021-23
Recorded crime3,653incidents per 100,000country median 11,440 — 68% belowOfficial source · Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik Kanton St.Gallen 2025

Which Switzerland-wide rules apply when you move to Mels?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in SwitzerlandNational rates and thresholds that apply in Mels.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Mels?

Average net cold rent is about 14.22 EUR/m² per month (2021-2023), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

  • Average net rent (nettokalt): 14.22 EUR/m²/month · Durchschnittliche Wohnungsnettomietpreise in CHF/m² nach Wohnungsgrösse, Kanton St.Gallen, Wahlkreise und Gemeinden, Zeitraum 2021-231
What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Mels recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€71
Mobile plan, 10 GB€56
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited70.68 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Swisscom blue Internet S14Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB56.03 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Salt Swiss 10GB10Official · national market
Average net rent (nettokalt)14.22 EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2021Durchschnittliche Wohnungsnettomietpreise in CHF/m² nach Wohnungsgrösse, Kanton St.Gallen, Wahlkreise und Gemeinden, Zeitraum 2021-231Official

Is Mels a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker61%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 52–70%
Skilled employee67%strong on work, weak on education · range 58–76%
Student37%strong on cost, weak on education · range 27–47%
Family52%strong on family, weak on education · range 43–61%
Retirement52%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 41–63%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 853 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of about 14.22 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: 2021-2023

Work and income

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary (regional)6,952 EUR/month31 Dec 2024www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch16Official

What does a salary buy in Mels?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

regional median gross pay: €6,952 (pxweb.bfs.admin.ch, 2024-12-31).
Left over each month€4,856of €5,836 take-home
  • Rent
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€5,836
Rent, 60 m²€14.22/m² · official · Durchschnittliche Wohnungsnettomietpreise in CHF/m² nach Wohnungsgrösse, Kanton St.Gallen, Wahlkreise und Gemeinden, Zeitraum 2021-23 · 2021-12-31− €853
Internet€71 · official · Swisscom blue Internet S · 2026-09-30− €71
Mobile plan€56 · official · Salt Swiss 10GB · 2026-09-30− €56
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish€4,856
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Mels Salary needed to live in Mels

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Mels. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

arbeit.swiss — Public employment service

State Secretariat for Economic Affairs / public employment service

Job SearchCareer Counselling
Register
Open the Switzerland service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Mels. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Safety

How safe is Mels?

Police recorded about 3,653 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik Kanton St.Gallen 20259

Recorded crime across major citiesMels highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Mels highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Solothurn25,779
Bern20,196
Interlaken18,896
Olten15,369
Kloten13,097
St. Gallen9,783
Winterthur7,988
Muri bei Bern5,389
Wetzikon (ZH)4,048
Küsnacht (ZH)3,718
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents3,653 incidents per 100,000country median 11,44031 Dec 2025Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik Kanton St.Gallen 20259Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Mels. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Cantonal integration programmes — Newcomer Adaptation

SEM and cantons

For migrants, refugees.

German, French, ItalianIn Person
Open official information

fide language promotion system — State Language Course

State Secretariat for Migration (SEM)

For adult migrants.

German, French, ItalianIn Person, Online
Open official information
Open the full Switzerland section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Mels.

Find courses near Mels

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
MetricValuePeriodSource
Average daytime high by monthJan 4.5 · Feb 6.2 · Mar 11.3 · Apr 15.7 · May 19.8 · Jun 22.9 · Jul 24.6 · Aug 24.1 · Sep 19.7 · Oct 15.5 · Nov 9.5 · Dec 5.2 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO3Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -2.1 · Feb -1.3 · Mar 2.2 · Apr 5.6 · May 9.7 · Jun 13 · Jul 14.7 · Aug 14.6 · Sep 10.9 · Oct 7.2 · Nov 2.5 · Dec -1.1 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO4Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 1.1 · Feb 2.3 · Mar 6.5 · Apr 10.4 · May 14.4 · Jun 17.6 · Jul 19.1 · Aug 18.8 · Sep 14.9 · Oct 10.9 · Nov 5.8 · Dec 2 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO5Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 70.6 · Feb 56.3 · Mar 77.7 · Apr 72.3 · May 99.4 · Jun 119 · Jul 124.8 · Aug 145.6 · Sep 94.5 · Oct 80.1 · Nov 79.3 · Dec 79.3 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO6Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 71.9 · Feb 91.6 · Mar 130.6 · Apr 156.4 · May 168.2 · Jun 181 · Jul 197 · Aug 182.8 · Sep 147 · Oct 114.3 · Nov 67.5 · Dec 55.3 hours31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO7Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In Switzerland: Zürich ±0.7 °C. Elsewhere: Werl (Germany) ±0.9 °C, Berlin (Germany) ±1.0 °C, Cottbus (Germany) ±1.0 °C, Hoyerswerda (Germany) ±1.1 °C, Reims (France) ±1.2 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

How many people live in Mels?

The published population was 9,581 people in 2024. Source: Switzerland official denominator source15

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents557.5 cars/1000 residents31 Dec 2024Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS13Official
City area139.2 km²2019Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A4 (2013-2018), FJ=2019, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km².2Official
Foreign non-permanent residents13 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20248Official
Foreign residents1,932 people31 Dec 2024Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024.11Official
Non-permanent residents13 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20248Official
Population density68.8 people/km²31 Dec 2024Reproducible density from BFS STATPOP permanent population at 31.12.2024 divided by the exact official BFS municipality area denominator (2013-2018; FJ=2019; area observed_at=2019).2Official
Population9,581 people31 Dec 2024Switzerland official denominator source15Official
Swiss non-permanent residents0 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20248Official
Swiss permanent residents7,649 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20248Official

International community in Mels

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published groupPeopleShare
Place of birth - total9,581100.0%
In Switzerland7,59679.3%
Abroad1,98520.7%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source12

Country of birth

Non-permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published groupPeopleShare
Place of birth - total16100.0%
Abroad16100.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source12

Citizenship

Permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published groupPeopleShare
Citizenship - total9,581100.0%
Switzerland7,65779.9%
Germany3493.6%
North Macedonia2422.5%
Italy2122.2%
Serbia1161.2%
Ukraine941.0%
Portugal830.9%
Romania800.8%
Kosovo670.7%
Show 64 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Austria660.7%
Croatia600.6%
Poland460.5%
Sri Lanka430.4%
Türkiye390.4%
Bosnia and Herzegovina390.4%
Afghanistan360.4%
Slovakia290.3%
Syria290.3%
Hungary280.3%
Eritrea230.2%
Slovenia210.2%
Netherlands190.2%
Liechtenstein120.1%
Bulgaria100.1%
Spain100.1%
Moldova100.1%
Czechia90.1%
Brazil90.1%
United Kingdom80.1%
Tunisia80.1%
France70.1%
Greece70.1%
Ghana70.1%
China70.1%
Belgium60.1%
Latvia60.1%
India60.1%
Finland50.1%
Sudan50.1%
Dominican Republic50.1%
Iran50.1%
No indication40.0%
United States40.0%
Philippines40.0%
Thailand40.0%
Albania30.0%
Ireland30.0%
Russia30.0%
Ethiopia30.0%
Mexico30.0%
Saint Kitts and Nevis30.0%
Denmark20.0%
Lithuania20.0%
South Africa20.0%
Japan20.0%
Armenia20.0%
Sweden10.0%
Algeria10.0%
Nigeria10.0%
Egypt10.0%
South Sudan10.0%
Argentina10.0%
Guatemala10.0%
Colombia10.0%
Cuba10.0%
Iraq10.0%
Cambodia10.0%
Malaysia10.0%
Mongolia10.0%
Singapore10.0%
Vietnam10.0%
Kazakhstan10.0%
Australia10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source12

Alternatives for people set on Mels

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Flums as a Mels alternative in the same region

7 km away, better on 1 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 5,561 Flums vs 3,653 Melsno percentage
  • Residents: 5,400 Flums vs 9,581 Mels−44%
  • Rent: €13.64/m² Flums vs €14.22/m² Mels−4%
  • Median gross pay, region: €6,952 Flums vs €6,952 Melssame level
Full comparisonMore about Flums

Biel/Bienne as a Mels alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 165 km, better on 1 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

  • Residents: 56,896 Biel/Bienne vs 9,581 Mels+494%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 15,776 Biel/Bienne vs 3,653 Melsno percentage
  • Median gross pay, region: €7,310 Biel/Bienne vs €6,952 Mels+5%
  • Rent: €14.52/m² Biel/Bienne vs €14.22/m² Melssame level
Full comparisonMore about Biel/Bienne

Cities near Mels

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Sargans 1.8 km away
Rent
15.89 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2021-12-31
Vilters-Wangs 4.5 km away
Rent
14.03 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2021-12-31
Wartau 6.3 km away
Rent
13.83 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2021-12-31
Flums 7.3 km away
Rent
13.64 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2021-12-31
Bad Ragaz 8.4 km away
Rent
16.38 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2021-12-31
Sevelen 9.4 km away
Rent
15.5 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2021-12-31
Walenstadt 11.2 km away
Rent
14.42 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2021-12-31
Buchs (SG) 13.5 km away
Rent
15.7 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2021-12-31

Alternative cities in Switzerland

Other cities in Switzerland to compare with Mels, nearest in population first.

All Switzerland cities
Chêne-Bourg9,578 residentsLangnau im Emmental9,574 residentsMurten/Morat9,567 residentsMurten9,552 residentsIngenbohl9,548 residentsZuchwil9,616 residents

How does Mels compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Mels's.

Open the full comparison

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Mels under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 4 to 15, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Einführungsklassen / integrative DaZ-Sprachförderung (per canton). How to enrol a child (edk.ch).

A country-wide rule for Switzerland; Mels's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Mels?

The published population was 9,581 people in 2024. Source: Switzerland official denominator source.

How much does it cost to rent in Mels?

Average net cold rent is about 14.22 EUR/m² per month (2021-2023), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 996 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Durchschnittliche Wohnungsnettomietpreise in CHF/m² nach Wohnungsgrösse, Kanton St.Gallen, Wahlkreise und Gemeinden, Zeitraum 2021-23.

How safe is Mels?

Police recorded about 3,653 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik Kanton St.Gallen 2025.

What is the typical salary around Mels?

The median gross salary is 6,952 EUR/month. Source: www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch.

How many foreign residents live in Mels?

1,932 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024..

Is Mels a good place to live?

Mels may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Mels?

Sargans, Vilters-Wangs, Wartau, Flums, Bad Ragaz are near Mels. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Place of birth - total live in Mels?

The official country of birth distribution records 9,581 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2025-12-31. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Mels, Switzerland: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 63c6fa9f78e7b94864c41f94983c9133]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/mels/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_mels-switzerland-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_08f3e460ea7e,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Mels, Switzerland: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {63c6fa9f78e7b94864c41f94983c9133},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/mels/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Mels, Switzerland: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/mels/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 63c6fa9f78e7b94864c41f94983c9133; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Durchschnittliche Wohnungsnettomietpreise in CHF/m² nach Wohnungsgrösse, Kanton St.Gallen, Wahlkreise und Gemeinden, Zeitraum 2021-23 sg.ch · checked 2026-10-09
  2. Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A4 (2013-2018), FJ=2019, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km². disseminate.stats.swiss · checked 2026-07-15
  3. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  4. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  5. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  6. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  7. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  8. Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 2024 pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-18
  9. Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik Kanton St.Gallen 2025 sg.ch · checked 2026-10-08
  10. Salt Swiss 10GB salt.ch · checked 2026-09-15
Show 15 more sources
  1. Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024. pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2024-12-31
  2. Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-30
  3. Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-08
  4. Swisscom blue Internet S swisscom.ch · checked 2026-09-15
  5. Switzerland official denominator source pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-14
  6. www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-27
  7. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  8. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  9. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  10. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  11. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  12. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  13. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  14. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  15. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.