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Living in Nerja

Gigabit broadband availability was 93.6% in June 2025. The unemployment rate was 4.29% in June 2026. Nerja, a city in Spain, had a population of 22,132 at the start of 2025.

Pricier rent than 78% of Spanish cities that publish it and more recorded crime than 92% of Spanish cities that publish it.

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

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 Nerja.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

How much does it cost to rent in Nerja?

Average net cold rent is 7.2 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): 7.2 EUR/m²/month · cdn.mivau.gob.es1

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

Net rent across major citiesNerja highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Nerja highlighted€14.00Madrid€13.70Barcelona€11.50Bilbao€9.80Palma€9.60Málaga€9.20Sevilla€8.20Valencia€7.70Zaragoza€7.30Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las€7.20Nerja€7.10Alacant/Alicante€5.80Murcianet rent, € / m² / month
MetricValuePeriodSource
Dwellings16,623 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain7Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings8,454 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain7Official
G05 Secondary Seasonal Vacant Dwellings8,172 dwellings31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain7Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)7.2 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.1031 Dec 2022cdn.mivau.gob.es1Official

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 432 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 7.2 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 Nerja?

The unemployment rate is about 4.3 % (June 2026).

  • Unemployment rate: 4.29 % · SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202616
Unemployment across cities in SpainUnemployment in Nerja is 4.3%. 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%8440–5Nerja 4.3%437 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%425–30

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Gigabit broadband availability93.64 %30 Jun 2025SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-202514Official
People in employment5,871 people31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain7Official
Median gross salary (regional)1,796 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)3Official · regional context
Unemployment rate4.29 %country median 4.4%30 Jun 2026SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 202616Independent

Public employment service

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

Safety

How safe is Nerja?

Police recorded about 6,414 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.8

Recorded crime across major citiesNerja highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Nerja 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 residents6,414 incidents per 100,000country median 4,27631 Dec 2024MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator.8Official

Mobility and administration

The nearest airport was GRX, 50 km away, with 5 listed destinations in June 2026.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport5 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat12Official
Nearest airportGRX13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv13Official
Distance to nearest airport50 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv13Official

Language courses and integration

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

Climate and air quality

MetricValuePeriodSource
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 20.36 · Feb 22.72 · Mar 27.03 · Apr 26.48 · May 34.03 · Jun 36.06 · Jul 38.89 · Aug 39.27 · Sep 38.14 · Oct 31.26 · Nov 24.61 · Dec 22.81 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center9Official
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -4.59 · Feb -4.15 · Mar -1.5 · Apr 1.14 · May 3.49 · Jun 8.6 · Jul 11.83 · Aug 13.13 · Sep 10.96 · Oct 1.39 · Nov -0.3 · Dec -1.53 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center9Official
Average temperature by monthJan 7.96 · Feb 8.53 · Mar 10.93 · Apr 13.51 · May 17.55 · Jun 22.86 · Jul 26.21 · Aug 26.03 · Sep 21.61 · Oct 17.11 · Nov 11.38 · Dec 8.87 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center9Official

Cities of a similar size in Spain

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

All Spain cities
Montcada/Moncada22,213 residentsTorrox22,015 residentsGüímar22,009 residentsAyamonte22,001 residentsCastrillón21,998 residentsAlfafar22,270 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Nerja?

The published population was 22,132 people in January 2025. Source: Nerja - official stats10

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Nerja residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport70.3%Foreign residents29.7%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area85.12 km²20 Oct 2025www.ign.es15Official
Foreign-resident share29.99 %31 Dec 2025Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE España)2Official
Foreign residents6,565 people1 Jan 2024Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.11Official
Population Female11,162 people31 Dec 2023Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)4Official
Population Male10,751 people31 Dec 2023Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)4Official
Population22,132 people1 Jan 2025Nerja - official stats10Official

International community in Nerja

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
TOTAL20,899100.0%
Spain14,67170.2%
European Union (without Spain)2,0569.8%
Rent of Europe1,9229.2%
South America1,1405.5%
Africa5292.5%
Asia2461.2%
Central America and Caribbean2231.1%
North America980.5%
Oceania140.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source5

Citizenship

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

Published groupPeopleShare
TOTAL20,899100.0%
Spanish15,58674.6%
European Union (without Spain)2,11710.1%
Rent of Europe1,9289.2%
South America4102.0%
Africa3991.9%
Asia2051.0%
Central America and Caribbean1700.8%
North America770.4%
Oceania70.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source6

Is Nerja 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 worker55%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 46–64%
Skilled employee60%strong on work, weak on education · range 51–69%
Student55%strong on legal route, weak on education · range 45–65%
Family52%strong on family, weak on education · range 43–61%
Retirement53%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 42–64%
Foreign residents6,565 people1 Jan 2024Official source · Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.
Population22,132 people1 Jan 2025Official source · Nerja - official stats
Average net rent (nettokalt)7.2 EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2022Official source · cdn.mivau.gob.es
Dwellings16,623 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain
Gigabit broadband availability93.64 %30 Jun 2025Official source · SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025
People in employment5,871 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-02

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households8,454 households31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain7Official
Labour Supply Count8,805 people31 Dec 2021Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain7Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Nerja 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.

Common questions

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

How many people live in Nerja?

The published population was 22,132 people in January 2025. Source: Nerja - official stats.

How much does it cost to rent in Nerja?

Average net cold rent is 7.2 EUR/m² per month (2022), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 504 EUR a month before utilities. Source: cdn.mivau.gob.es.

How safe is Nerja?

Police recorded about 6,414 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 Nerja?

The unemployment rate is about 4.3 % (June 2026). Source: SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026.

What is the typical salary around Nerja?

The median gross salary is 1,796 EUR/month. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE).

How many foreign residents live in Nerja?

6,565 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España..

Is Nerja a good place to live?

Nerja 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 Nerja?

The official country of birth distribution records 529 people (2.5%) 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). Nerja, Spain: rent, salary, jobs, safety [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/nerja/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_nerja-spain-rent-salary-jobs-safety_58fceadbc30d,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Nerja, Spain: rent, salary, jobs, safety},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/nerja/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Nerja, Spain: rent, salary, jobs, safety](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/nerja/) — 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. cdn.mivau.gob.es cdn.mivau.gob.es · checked 2026-08-26
  2. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE España) ine.es · checked 2026-08-03
  3. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-06
  4. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
  5. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
  6. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
  7. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
  8. MIR 2024 Q4 exact III. TOTAL INFRACCIONES PENALES, enero-diciembre 2024; INE 29005 denominator. estadisticasdecriminalidad.ses.mir.es · checked 2026-07-16
  9. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  10. Nerja - official stats ine.es · checked 2026-07-14
Show 6 more sources
  1. Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España. ine.es · checked 2024-01-01
  2. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  3. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  4. SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025 digital.gob.es · checked 2025-06-30
  5. www.ign.es ign.es · checked 2026-08-30
  6. SEPE — registered unemployment by municipality, June 2026 SEPE · sepe.es · checked 2026-07-26

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.