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Living in Mérida

Mérida is a city in Spain. In 2024, the unemployment rate was 17.2%. Its population was 60,225 at the start of 2025.

Higher unemployment than any other Spanish city that publishes it and more recorded crime than 79% of Spanish cities that publish it.

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

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 Mérida.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Mérida?

Average net cold rent is 5 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): 5 EUR/m²/month · cdn.mivau.gob.es2

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

Net rent across major citiesMérida highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Mérida highlighted€14.00Madrid€13.70Barcelona€11.50Bilbao€9.80Palma€9.60Málaga€9.20Sevilla€8.20Valencia€7.70Zaragoza€7.30Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las€7.10Alacant/Alicante€5.80Murcia€5.00Méridanet rent, € / m² / month
MetricValuePeriodSource
Dwellings31,356 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings23,247 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official
G05 Secondary Seasonal Vacant Dwellings8,112 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)5 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.1031 Dec 2022cdn.mivau.gob.es2Official
Official reference rent (median)430 EUR/month31 Dec 2024SERPAVI — VDP001_01 — rental price and surface indicators by municipality21Official

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 300 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 5 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 Mérida?

The unemployment rate is about 17.2 % (2024).

  • Unemployment rate: 17.24 % · INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city8
Unemployment across cities in SpainUnemployment in Mérida is 17.2%. 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%2315–20Mérida 17.2%9 cities: 20% to under 25%920–254 cities: 25% to under 30%425–30

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Gigabit broadband availability97.6 %30 Jun 2025SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-202522Official
People in employment23,364 people31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official
Median gross salary (regional)1,742 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)9Official · regional context
Unemployment rate17.24 %country median 4.4%31 Dec 2024INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city8Official
Unemployment rate over time10 published observations, 2015–2024
Unemployment rate in Mérida by year, %16.1%21.7%27.4%33.1%2015201720192021202417.2%%

Unemployment rate fell 45.7% between 2015 and 2024, from 31.8% to 17.2%.

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Mérida. 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 Mérida. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital Beds Per 100k1,188 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2025Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 202515Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Mérida 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 100k1,188 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Mérida?

Police recorded about 5,527 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator.16

Recorded crime across major citiesMérida highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Mérida highlighted5,338Orihuela5,289Murcia5,095Córdoba4,916Vitoria-Gasteiz4,578Cartagena4,104Castelló de la Plana/Castellón de la Plana4,023Ciudad Real3,831Molina de Segura3,706Lorca3,690Logroño3,628Burgos2,712Vila-realrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents5,527 incidents per 100,000country median 4,27631 Dec 2024MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator.16Official

Mobility and administration

The nearest airport was BJZ, 42.3 km away, with 2 listed destinations in June 2026. Gigabit broadband availability was 97.6% in June 2025.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport2 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat19Official
Nearest airportBJZ13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv20Official
Distance to nearest airport42.3 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv20Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Mérida. 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 Mérida.

Climate and air quality

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Mérida annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit154017.0PM1010409.0NO₂µg/m³

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean9 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station MERIDA)3Official · nearest-station reading
PM10 — annual mean17 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station MERIDA)4Official · nearest-station reading
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 19.2 · Feb 21.15 · Mar 27.35 · Apr 30.48 · May 37.01 · Jun 43.46 · Jul 45.67 · Aug 44.63 · Sep 43.67 · Oct 35.17 · Nov 25.67 · Dec 19.06 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center17Official
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -5.3 · Feb -5.25 · Mar -4.84 · Apr -0.24 · May 2.23 · Jun 8.11 · Jul 11.35 · Aug 11.93 · Sep 8.81 · Oct 1.63 · Nov -4.4 · Dec -6.15 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center17Official
Average temperature by monthJan 6.72 · Feb 7.86 · Mar 10.69 · Apr 13.76 · May 18.24 · Jun 24.05 · Jul 27.57 · Aug 27.5 · Sep 23.22 · Oct 17.28 · Nov 10.65 · Dec 7.39 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center17Official

Cities of a similar size in Spain

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

All Spain cities
Sant Vicent del Raspeig/San Vicente del Raspeig60,247 residentsArganda del Rey60,419 residentsMotril59,862 residentsZamora59,815 residentsÁvila59,107 residentsAlcoi/Alcoy61,468 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Mérida?

The published population was 60,225 people in January 2025. Source: Mérida - official stats14

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Mérida residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport95.5%Foreign residents 4.5%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents505.8 cars per 1000 people31 Dec 2024Eurostat5Official
City area865.3 km²31 Dec 2024Eurostat GISCO, European Commission7Official
Foreign-resident share4.5 %31 Dec 2024Eurostat6Official
Foreign residents2,715 people1 Jan 2024Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.18Official
Population density69.22 people/km²31 Dec 2024Eurostat GISCO / Eurostat Urban Audit7Official
Population Female30,588 people31 Dec 2023Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)10Official
Population Male28,873 people31 Dec 2023Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)10Official
Population60,225 people1 Jan 2025Mérida - official stats14Official
Population over time11 published observations, 2015–2025
Population in Mérida by year, residents58,87159,35659,84060,32520152017201920212023202560,225residents

Population rose 2.1% between 2015 and 2025, from 58,971 to 60,225.

Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2015–2024
Foreign residents in Mérida by year, residents1,3801,8582,3362,814201520172019202120242,715residents

Foreign residents rose 68.7% between 2015 and 2024, from 1,609 to 2,715.

International community in Mérida

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
TOTAL59,627100.0%
Spain56,51394.8%
South America1,1311.9%
European Union (without Spain)6761.1%
Africa3860.6%
Central America and Caribbean3190.5%
Asia2850.5%
Rent of Europe2320.4%
North America760.1%
Oceania90.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source11

Citizenship

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

Published groupPeopleShare
TOTAL59,627100.0%
Spanish57,47896.4%
South America6041.0%
European Union (without Spain)6011.0%
Asia2520.4%
Africa2470.4%
Central America and Caribbean2190.4%
Rent of Europe1610.3%
North America530.1%
Oceania90.0%
Statelens30.0%

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

Is Mérida 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 worker64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–73%
Skilled employee65%strong on work, weak on education · range 57–73%
Student67%strong on cost, weak on education · range 58–76%
Family55%strong on family, weak on education · range 47–63%
Retirement63%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 53–73%
Foreign residents2,715 people1 Jan 2024Official source · Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.
Population60,225 people1 Jan 2025Official source · Mérida - official stats
Average net rent (nettokalt)5 EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2022Official source · cdn.mivau.gob.es
Official reference rent (median)430 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · SERPAVI — VDP001_01 — rental price and surface indicators by municipality
Dwellings31,356 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain
Gigabit broadband availability97.6 %30 Jun 2025Official source · SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-14

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households23,244 households31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official
Labour Supply Count30,324 people31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain13Official
Private Clinic Presenttrue31 Dec 2025Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 20251Official

How does Mérida compare?

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Common questions

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

How many people live in Mérida?

The published population was 60,225 people in January 2025. Source: Mérida - official stats.

How much does it cost to rent in Mérida?

Average net cold rent is 5 EUR/m² per month (2022), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 350 EUR a month before utilities. Source: cdn.mivau.gob.es.

How safe is Mérida?

Police recorded about 5,527 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator..

What is the unemployment rate in Mérida?

The unemployment rate is about 17.2 % (2024). Source: INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city.

What is the typical salary around Mérida?

The median gross salary is 1,742 EUR/month. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE).

How many foreign residents live in Mérida?

2,715 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España..

Is Mérida a good place to live?

Mérida 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 Mérida?

The official country of birth distribution records 386 people (0.6%) 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 14). Mérida, Spain: rent, salary, jobs, safety, air quality [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/merida/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_merida-spain-rent-salary-jobs-safety-air-quality_38db25075e61,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Mérida, Spain: rent, salary, jobs, safety, air quality},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  snapshot = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/merida/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Mérida, Spain: rent, salary, jobs, safety, air quality](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/merida/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

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. Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-07-16
  2. cdn.mivau.gob.es cdn.mivau.gob.es · checked 2026-08-26
  3. EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station MERIDA) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  4. EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station MERIDA) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  5. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  7. Eurostat GISCO, European Commission gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
  8. INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city INE Urban Indicators · servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-07-26
  9. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-06
  10. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
Show 12 more sources
  1. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
  2. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
  3. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
  4. Mérida - official stats ine.es · checked 2026-07-14
  5. Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-08-03
  6. MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator. estadisticasdecriminalidad.ses.mir.es · checked 2026-07-16
  7. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  8. Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España. ine.es · checked 2024-01-01
  9. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  10. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  11. SERPAVI — VDP001_01 — rental price and surface indicators by municipality SERPAVI · cdn.mivau.gob.es · checked 2026-09-12
  12. 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.