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Living in Melilla

Melilla is a city in Spain. Gigabit broadband availability was 98.1% in 2025. In 2024, the unemployment rate was 26.5%. Its population was 86,780 at the start of 2025.

Pricier rent than 90% of Spanish cities that publish it, higher unemployment than any other Spanish city that publishes it and dirtier air than 77% of Spanish cities that publish it.

Which Spain-wide rules apply when you move to Melilla?

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 SpainNational rates and thresholds that apply in Melilla.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Melilla?

Average net cold rent is 8.6 EUR/m² per month (2022), 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): 8.6 EUR/m²/month · cdn.mivau.gob.es3

City-level rent is published below; no city-level cost-of-living basket is published for Melilla yet.

Net rent across major citiesMelilla highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Melilla highlighted€14.00Madrid€13.70Barcelona€11.50Bilbao€9.80Palma€9.60Málaga€9.20Sevilla€8.60Melilla€8.20Valencia€7.70Zaragoza€7.30Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las€7.10Alacant/Alicante€5.80Murcianet rent, € / m² / month
MetricValuePeriodSource
Dwellings29,391 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain14Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings25,578 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain14Official
G05 Secondary Seasonal Vacant Dwellings3,813 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain14Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)8.6 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.1031 Dec 2022cdn.mivau.gob.es3Official

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 516 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 8.6 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: 2022

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Melilla?

The unemployment rate is about 26.5 % (2024).

  • Unemployment rate: 26.52 % · INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city10
Unemployment across cities in SpainUnemployment in Melilla is 26.5%. Of 1,361 cities with data, 844 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Spain per band844 cities: 0% to under 5%8440–5437 cities: 5% to under 10%4375–1044 cities: 10% to under 15%4410–1523 cities: 15% to under 20%2315–209 cities: 20% to under 25%920–254 cities: 25% to under 30%425–30Melilla 26.5%

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Gigabit broadband availability98.08 %30 Jun 2025SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-202520Official
People in employment29,796 people31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain14Official
Unemployment rate26.52 %country median 4.4%31 Dec 2024INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city10Official
Unemployment rate over time10 published observations, 2015–2024
Unemployment rate in Melilla by year, %19.6%23.7%27.7%31.7%2015201720192021202426.5%%

Unemployment rate fell 14.1% between 2015 and 2024, from 30.9% to 26.5%.

Public employment service

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

Country-level information

Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal — Public employment service

Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal (SEPE)

Job SearchUnemployment ClaimTraining
Search jobs
Open the Spain service overview

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

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital Beds Per 100k390.8 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2025Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 202516Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Melilla 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
Hospital Beds Per 100k390.8 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport4 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat18Official
Nearest airportMLN13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv19Official
Distance to nearest airport0.8 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv19Official

Language courses and integration

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

Country-level information

Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas — public language education network — State Language Course

Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports / autonomous education authorities

For adult language learners, residents.

In Person, Online, Hybridvaries
Open official information
Open the full Spain section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Melilla.

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were 13.5°C in January and 25.6°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 55.4 mm in January and 0.5 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 10.4 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Is the air quality good in Melilla?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 10.4 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair6

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Melilla average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND30°10°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Melilla average monthly precipitation, mm015304560554843351671419415349JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Melilla average monthly sunshine, hours0510152067789101097766JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Melilla annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit52510.4PM2.5154029.0PM10104015.0NO₂µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in SpainAnnual PM2.5 in Melilla is 10.4 µg/m³. Of 269 cities with data, 57 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Spain per band1 city: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³13–46 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³64–512 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³125–628 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³286–733 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³337–857 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³578–941 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³419–1035 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³3510–11Melilla 10.430 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³3011–1214 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³1412–134 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³413–146 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³614–151 city: 16 µg/m³ to under 17 µg/m³116–171 city: 19 µg/m³ to under 20 µg/m³119–20

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean15 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station SSOO)4Official · nearest-station reading
PM10 — annual mean29 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station SSOO)5Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5 — annual mean10.4 µg/m³country median 8.731 Dec 2024EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair6Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 16.9 · Feb 17 · Mar 18.5 · Apr 20.2 · May 22.9 · Jun 26 · Jul 29 · Aug 29.6 · Sep 27 · Oct 23.8 · Nov 20.2 · Dec 17.8 °C31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly maximum air temperature, MELILLA, 1991-20201Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 10.2 · Feb 10.7 · Mar 12 · Apr 13.5 · May 16.2 · Jun 19.4 · Jul 22.1 · Aug 23 · Sep 20.6 · Oct 17.4 · Nov 13.7 · Dec 11.3 °C31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly minimum air temperature, MELILLA, 1991-20201Official
Average temperature by monthJan 13.5 · Feb 13.9 · Mar 15.2 · Apr 16.9 · May 19.6 · Jun 22.7 · Jul 25.6 · Aug 26.3 · Sep 23.8 · Oct 20.6 · Nov 16.9 · Dec 14.6 °C31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly air temperature, MELILLA, 1991-20201Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 55.4 · Feb 48.1 · Mar 43 · Apr 35.1 · May 16.1 · Jun 7.3 · Jul 0.5 · Aug 4.4 · Sep 18.5 · Oct 40.8 · Nov 53 · Dec 49.4 mm31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly total precipitation, MELILLA, 1991-20201Official
Average sunshine by monthJan 6.1 · Feb 6.5 · Mar 6.6 · Apr 7.6 · May 8.7 · Jun 9.9 · Jul 9.8 · Aug 9 · Sep 7.4 · Oct 6.5 · Nov 6.1 · Dec 5.7 hours31 Dec 2020AEMET climate normal — mean monthly sunshine duration, MELILLA, 1991-20201Official

Cities of a similar size in Spain

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Spain cities
Toledo87,216 residentsVélez-Málaga86,048 residentsValdemoro85,972 residentsArona87,793 residentsSant Boi de Llobregat85,610 residentsFuengirola85,211 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Melilla?

The published population was 86,780 people in January 2025. Source: Melilla - official stats15

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Melilla residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport87.2%Foreign residents12.8%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents536.4 cars per 1000 people31 Dec 2024Eurostat7Official
City area13.93 km²31 Dec 2024Eurostat GISCO, European Commission9Official
Foreign-resident share12.9 %31 Dec 2024Eurostat8Official
Foreign residents11,119 people1 Jan 2024Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.17Official
Population density6,174 people/km²31 Dec 2024Eurostat GISCO / Eurostat Urban Audit9Official
Population Female42,444 people31 Dec 2023Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)11Official
Population Male43,047 people31 Dec 2023Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)11Official
Population86,780 people1 Jan 2025Melilla - official stats15Official
Population over time15 published observations, 2011–2025
Population in Melilla by year, residents80,30082,72685,15287,57820112017202586,780residents

Population rose 6.7% between 2011 and 2025, from 81,323 to 86,780.

Foreign residents over time13 published observations, 2013–2025
Foreign residents in Melilla by year, residents10,92811,84912,77113,69220132015201720212023202512,081residents

Foreign residents fell 4.2% between 2013 and 2025, from 12,611 to 12,081.

International community in Melilla

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

Country of birth

Population resident in Spain; both sexes; official INE Census 2021 municipal table · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
TOTAL86,450100.0%
Spain66,70177.2%
Africa18,11120.9%
European Union (without Spain)7170.8%
South America4450.5%
Rent of Europe1640.2%
Asia1380.2%
Central America and Caribbean1020.1%
North America690.1%
Oceania30.0%

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

Citizenship

Population resident in Spain; both sexes; official INE Census 2021 municipal table · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
TOTAL86,450100.0%
Spanish73,91985.5%
Africa11,34213.1%
European Union (without Spain)7480.9%
Rent of Europe1440.2%
South America1290.1%
Asia800.1%
North America460.1%
Central America and Caribbean410.0%
Statelens10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source13

Is Melilla 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 worker54%strong on work, weak on safety · range 45–63%
Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on safety · range 49–67%
Student58%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 48–68%
Family41%strong on family, weak on safety · range 31–51%
Retirement49%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 39–59%
Foreign residents11,119 people1 Jan 2024Official source · Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.
Population86,780 people1 Jan 2025Official source · Melilla - official stats
Average net rent (nettokalt)8.6 EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2022Official source · cdn.mivau.gob.es
Dwellings29,391 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain
Gigabit broadband availability98.08 %30 Jun 2025Official source · SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025
People in employment29,796 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-26

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households25,578 households31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain14Official
Labour Supply Count39,354 people31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain14Official
Private Clinic Presenttrue31 Dec 2025Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 20252Official

Common questions

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

How many people live in Melilla?

The published population was 86,780 people in January 2025. Source: Melilla - official stats.

How much does it cost to rent in Melilla?

Average net cold rent is 8.6 EUR/m² per month (2022), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 602 EUR a month before utilities. Source: cdn.mivau.gob.es.

Is the air quality good in Melilla?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 10.4 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair.

What is the unemployment rate in Melilla?

The unemployment rate is about 26.5 % (2024). Source: INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city.

How many foreign residents live in Melilla?

11,119 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España..

Is Melilla a good place to live?

Melilla 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.

How many people born in Africa live in Melilla?

The official country of birth distribution records 18,111 people (20.9%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. 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, September 12). Melilla, Spain: rent, jobs, air quality [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/melilla/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_melilla-spain-rent-jobs-air-quality_5e0fe82aecbe,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Melilla, Spain: rent, jobs, air quality},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/melilla/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Melilla, Spain: rent, jobs, air quality](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/melilla/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

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. AEMET climate normal — mean monthly maximum air temperature, MELILLA, 1991-2020 AEMET climate normal · aemet.es · checked 2026-07-27
  2. Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-07-16
  3. cdn.mivau.gob.es cdn.mivau.gob.es · checked 2026-08-26
  4. EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station SSOO) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  5. EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station SSOO) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  6. EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair EEA City Trend · eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-29
  7. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
  8. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  9. Eurostat GISCO, European Commission gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
  10. INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city INE Urban Indicators · servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-07-26
Show 10 more sources
  1. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
  2. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
  3. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
  4. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
  5. Melilla - official stats ine.es · checked 2026-07-14
  6. Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-08-03
  7. Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España. ine.es · checked 2024-01-01
  8. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  9. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  10. SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025 digital.gob.es · checked 2025-06-30

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.