Nikel is an urban locality and the administrative center of the Pechengsky District in the Murmansk Oblast of Russia. It is situated on the shores of Lake Kuetsyarvi, located approximately 196 kilometers (122 mi) northwest of Murmansk along the E105 road.
The settlement is positioned just 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) from the Norwegian border. According to census data, the population has fluctuated over recent decades, recorded at 21,838 in 1989 and decreasing to 16,534 by 2002, with a 2010 census figure of 12,756.