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 122 miles (196 kilometers) northwest of Murmansk along the E105 road.
The city is positioned near the international boundary, sitting only about 4.3 miles (7 kilometers) 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.