Region · Spain · All places
A small Spanish city on the Moroccan coast, with a fortified old town, modernist streets and a border that shapes daily life.
Melilla is a small Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa, a little further east than Ceuta and with a land border with Morocco. It sits on a rocky headland and a flat plain behind it, facing the Mediterranean, with the Moroccan town of Nador just beyond the frontier.
It has an old walled fortress on the rock, a centre of early twentieth-century modernist buildings, a port, a garrison and a population that includes Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu communities. It is quiet, compact and safe, and the economy is thin.
It suits people with income that does not come from the local market. It is a very hard place to build a career from scratch.
Data as of · the latest figures cover Jun 2026
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What the data says
Melilla stands out for safety; it is weaker on jobs and wellbeing. A typical 70 m² rental costs about €637 a month (2024).
Who it suits, 0 to 100
Practical conclusions we draw from Melilla’s figures. They are inferences, not official statistics: each says what it rests on.
Few residents come from English-speaking or northern European countries, so daily life runs in Spanish. Contracts, the town hall and most doctors work in Spanish.
People born abroad are in work less often than people born in Spain. Remote income or a job offer makes the move far easier.
Tapas on Plaza de España and the surrounding streets, Moroccan skewers, couscous and mint tea.
Slow and small-town, with long evenings on the squares and the seafront.
The walled old town, the modernist centre around Avenida Juan Carlos I and outer barrios towards the border.
Spanish for official life, with Tamazight and Moroccan Arabic widely spoken at home.
Holy Week, the autumn fiestas of the Virgen de la Victoria and the main Muslim and Hindu festivals.
Soldiers, civil servants, traders and families who cross the border and know one another.
Sea swimming, a walk along the old walls and the cliffs of the old town.
Melilla looks like a small Spanish provincial city with a North African edge. The old town, Melilla la Vieja, sits on a rock above the sea behind massive walls and ditches, with narrow lanes and views over the harbour. Below it, the centre around Avenida Juan Carlos I and the Plaza de España has a dense stock of ornate modernist buildings that surprise first-time visitors.
Evenings are about tapas. Bars on the central squares serve a small free or cheap plate with every drink, and people go out in groups, family by family. The Christian and Muslim communities live alongside each other and celebrate their own holidays, and there are also Jewish and Hindu communities with places of worship in the city.
The food mixes both shores, with fried fish and Spanish classics beside Moroccan skewers, couscous and mint tea. Nightlife is modest. For a bigger city night people travel by ferry or plane to the mainland. The border at Beni Enzar is a daily fact for families with ties on both sides, though its rules have changed more than once.
Melilla has been Spanish since the late fifteenth century, and it grew around its fortress and port. Its modernist buildings date from the first decades of the twentieth century, when the city boomed as a base for the Spanish presence in northern Morocco, and many of them were designed by the architect Enrique Nieto. After Morocco became independent, Melilla stayed Spanish and became a border city with an economy tied to the garrison, the port, public administration and trade across the frontier.
That history explains the weak private sector. There is almost no industry and very little space to grow, and the cross-border trade that once supported many households has been cut back by closures and customs rules. Unemployment is 24.9% (2025). Youth unemployment is 60.2% (2025). Jobs come out weak against similar regions, and prosperity comes out weak. Poverty is the highest of any region, with 39.3% of people at risk (2025).
Housing is priced like a mainland city because there is almost nothing left to build on, which squeezes households on low incomes. A typical 70 m² flat rents for about €637 a month (2024). Buying costs €2,164 per square metre (Q2 2026). Households that spend too large a share of their income on housing make up 13.8% (2025).
The small, close-knit size explains the safety record. Violent crime is extremely low, and the city comes out strong on safety. Homicide is 0.00 per 100k people (2024). Burglary is 43 per 100k people (2024). Street robbery is higher, at 123 per 100k people (2024).
Figures for Melilla. Each shows the period it covers.
Each card uses Melilla data only and compares it with other regions. Open “Why this score?” to see the measures behind it.
Safety is strong: in the top 10% of European metro regions.
Homicides: 0.00 per 100k people — better than 100% of European metro regions
Strong: 77 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| HomicidesMelilla · 2024 | 0.00 per 100k people | better than 100% of European metro regions |
| RobberiesMelilla · 2024 | 123 per 100k people | better than 22% of European metro regions |
| BurglariesMelilla · 2024 | 43.0 per 100k people | better than 97% of European metro regions |
| Road deathsMelilla · 2024 | 1.10 per 100k people | better than 91% of European metro regions |
| Assault rateMelilla · 2024 | 595 per 100k people | better than 38% of European metro regions |
| TheftsMelilla · 2024 | 315 per 100k people | better than 100% of European metro regions |
| Vehicle theftsMelilla · 2024 | 58.1 per 100k people | better than 65% of European metro regions |
Housing is below average: in the bottom 10% of Spanish regions.
Households spending >40% of income on housing: 13.8% — worse than 82% of European metro regions
Below average: 34 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Households spending >40% of income on housingMelilla · 2025 | 13.8% | better than 18% of European metro regions |
| Rent per m²Melilla · 2024 | 9.10 €/m² a month | better than 29% of Spanish regions |
| Rents, change in a yearMelilla · 2024 | 1.30% | better than 97% of Spanish regions |
| Buying price per m²Melilla · 2026-Q2 | 2,164 €/m² | better than 34% of Spanish regions |
| House prices, change in a yearMelilla · 2026-Q2 | 13.8% | better than 34% of Spanish regions |
Prosperity is weak: in the bottom 10% of European metro regions.
Economic output per person: 23,600 PPS per person — worse than 100% of European metro regions
Weak: 4 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| Household income per personMelilla · 2023 | 16,500 PPS per person | better than 9% of European metro regions |
| Economic output per personMelilla · 2024 | 23,600 PPS per person | better than 0% of European metro regions |
Wellbeing is weak: in the bottom 10% of European metro regions.
At risk of poverty: 39.3% — worse than 100% of European metro regions
Weak: 3 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| At risk of povertyMelilla · 2025 | 39.3% | better than 0% of European metro regions |
| Material deprivationMelilla · 2025 | 11.8% | better than 6% of European metro regions |
Jobs is weak compared with other European regions.
Not ranked: too little comparable evidence yet.
Unemployment: 24.9% — worse than 100% of European metro regions
Weak: 1 out of 100, where 50 is typical for the comparison group. These are the measures behind it.
| Measure | Value | Compared with peers |
|---|---|---|
| UnemploymentMelilla · 2025 | 24.9% | better than 0% of European metro regions |
| Employment rate (20–64)Melilla · 2025 | 55.0% | better than 3% of European metro regions |
| Long-term unemploymentMelilla · 2025 | 16.3% of the workforce | better than 0% of European metro regions |
| Youth unemployment (15–24)Melilla · 2025 | 60.2% | better than 0% of European metro regions |
| Labour-force participationMelilla · 2025 | 63.3% | better than 3% of European metro regions |
| Youth not in employment/education/trainingMelilla · 2025 | 16.5% | better than 3% of European metro regions |
What we cannot score for Melilla yet
Melilla has a warm Mediterranean climate, a little drier than Ceuta. Summers are hot but cooled by sea breezes, and winters are mild with short bouts of rain and wind. The city is pleasant in spring and autumn, and the sea is warm for swimming into the autumn.
It is a year-round city, with few real extremes. Flights and ferries can be disrupted by wind and bad weather, which is worth remembering for anyone who depends on a quick link to the mainland.
Lines start with Spain; switch the others on to compare.
53/100 · average · 13th of 35 European metro regions
24.9% in 2025
4.6% in Sep 2026
1.3% in 2024
23,600 PPS in 2024
13.8% in Q2 2026
€9.1 per m² a month in 2024
€2,165 per m² in Q2 2026
83.3 years in 2024
55.0% in 2025
Facts about the people who live in Melilla. Shown as context only: none of this changes a score.
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Fit from the data, 0 to 100, against other Spanish regions. Open a group to see the figures behind it.
Residents get an income-tax reduction on locally earned income, and the city is safe. The modernist centre has fine buildings, but there are few luxury services.
Not measured yet: Average dwelling size, Distance to the main airport, Education, Environment, Healthcare, Income tax and social security, average earner, Total tax on labour, average earner.
Violent crime is very low and distances are short, so children can move around easily. Rents are high for what is on offer, and a household's budget is stretched.
Not measured yet: 15-year-olds' maths (PISA), Average commute (one way), Average dwelling size, Childcare availability, Education, Environment, Healthcare, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pre-primary participation, Recorded crime.
Modernist architecture, a walled old town and a mix of religious festivals give the city a character not found elsewhere in Spain. The cultural calendar is small.
Nothing stands out.
Better in the region for culture, food and nightlife: Melilla (44)
Not measured yet: Commute by public transport, Lifestyle, Median age, Transport, Walk most.
The special indirect tax regime and the port give an edge to import, trade and small hospitality. The local market is tiny and depends on border rules that can change.
Nothing stands out.
Better in the region for founders and self-employed: Melilla (41)
Not measured yet: Connectivity, Digital, Distance to the main airport, Jobs in high-tech sectors, Regulatory quality.
A university campus serves the city, but the choice of degrees is small, so most students leave for the mainland.
Nothing stands out.
Better in the region for students: Melilla (44)
Not measured yet: Commute by public transport, Cost of Living, Cycle most, Education, Lifestyle, Median age, Price level vs EU average, Transport, Walk most.
Rents are not low enough to offset the lack of jobs, and the rent burden on households is the heaviest in Spain. It is a poor place to arrive on a small budget.
Nothing stands out.
Better in the region for budget-conscious movers: Melilla (44)
Not measured yet: Cost of Living, Price level vs EU average.
This is the hardest labour market in Spain for a young person. Public jobs, the garrison and small trade are the main routes.
Nothing stands out.
Better in the region for young professionals: Melilla (41)
Not measured yet: Commute by public transport, Jobs in high-tech sectors, Lifestyle, Median age, Median gross salary, Transport.
Safe streets, a mild climate and a compact centre are good for later life. The data on health access is thin, and anything specialised means a flight or a ferry to the mainland.
Not measured yet: Climate, Cost of Living, Days above 35 °C, Doctors, Environment, Frost days, Healthcare, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry).
Possible, but an unusual choice with a very small remote-worker scene. The sea and quiet are attractive and there is an airport, but the city is isolated.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Climate, Connectivity, Cost of Living, Digital, Distance to the main airport, Fixed broadband penetration, Homes with fibre to the door, Lifestyle, Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry).
The sea, the cliffs below the old town and a few beaches provide swimming and walks in a small area. There is no wilderness nearby.
Nothing stands out.
Nothing stands out.
Not measured yet: Climate, Days above 35 °C, Environment, Fine-particle pollution (PM2.5), Frost days, Lifestyle, Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Pleasant days (18–28 °C, dry), Rainy days (≥1 mm), Strong-wind days.
Taxes, residency and the wider economy are set nationally, so they are the same in Melilla as anywhere in Spain.
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| Place | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melilla | 50 | €637 | 21.7% | 50.7 per 1,000 people | 206 | 81.9 years |
Guide written 2026-10-22. Figures are refreshed as new official data is published; the period beside each number says what it covers. “Our read” cards are our inferences from those figures. How we score
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