Air quality comparison · Cyprus, 60 km apart
Larnaca vs Limassol Air quality index (AQI) today
Larnaca has cleaner air than Limassol right now: AQI 31 (Good) against 38 (Good).
Both sit in the same EPA band, so the health advice is the same for each today. But over the past 7 days, on modeled daily averages, Limassol averaged AQI 22 against 23, and it was the cleaner of the two on 3 of those days. Limassol has lost more forest since 2001. Limassol has more tree cover.
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
Larnaca31Limassol38
Head to head
Larnaca vs Limassol at a glance
Larnaca is ahead on 4 of 6 measures, and Limassol on 2. The better figure in each row is marked.
| Larnaca | Limassol | |
|---|---|---|
| Air quality nowUS AQI. Lower is better. | 31 (better) | 38 |
| PM2.5Fine particles, µg/m³. | 0.8 (better) | 6.9 |
| Past week's averageUS AQI, 7 days. | 23 | 22 (better) |
| Forest lost since 2001Within 10 km of the center. | 1 ha (better) | 92 ha |
| Tree coverWithin 2 km of the center. | 5.3% | 6.3% (better) |
| Trees still neededTo reach a healthy canopy. | 65.9K (better) | 65.9K |
Air quality today
What is the air like in Larnaca and Limassol right now?
Larnaca has cleaner air than Limassol right now: AQI 31 (Good) against 38 (Good). Ozone is setting the index in Larnaca, and PM2.5 in Limassol.
Both readings come from nearby ground stations.
LarnacaLimassol
Concentrations at the same moment as the index above, for the pollutants both places report. Lower is better. The dark marks on the PM2.5 and PM10 rows show the WHO's 24-hour guidelines (15 and 45 µg/m³).
Larnaca: Ground station · Ormidia - Industrial Station, 15.8 km away · median of 2 stations. Data: OpenAQ · Republic of Cyprus Department of Labor Inspection, Department of Labour Inspection, Republic of Cyprus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Limassol: Ground station · Limassol - Traffic Station, 300 m away. Data: OpenAQ · Republic of Cyprus Department of Labor Inspection, Department of Labour Inspection, Republic of Cyprus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
The past week
Which had cleaner air over the past 7 days?
But over the past 7 days, on modeled daily averages, Limassol averaged AQI 22 against 23, and it was the cleaner of the two on 3 of those days. A single reading can catch a city on a bad afternoon; the week says whether it was the weather or the place.
- Cleaner days
- Larnaca3Limassol3
- Average AQI
- Larnaca23Limassol22
- Worst day, AQI
- Larnaca33Limassol29
The daily numbers (7 days)
| Day | Larnaca | Limassol |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 5 | 33 | 26 |
| Nov 6 | 28 | 29 |
| Nov 7 | 26 | 25 |
| Nov 8 | 18 | 21 |
| Nov 9 | 14 | 15 |
| Nov 10 | 18 | 18 |
| Nov 11 | 21 | 18 |
Daily averages from the CAMS atmospheric model for both places, so the week compares like with like. They can differ from today's reading at the top of the page wherever that comes from a ground station.
What it means today
Is it safe to go outside in Larnaca and Limassol today?
Air quality is satisfactory for everyone. Both are in the same EPA band today (Good), so the advice is the same.
Exercise outdoors
A good day to be active outside.
Windows
Open them to air the house.
Masks
Not needed.
Air purifier
Not needed.
Against everywhere else
How do Larnaca and Limassol compare with the rest of the world?
Right now Larnaca's air is cleaner than 78% of the 5,420 places Airleaf tracks, and Limassol's is cleaner than 72%. Within Cyprus, that is 100% and 50% of its 5 measured places.
Cleaner air than…
- Larnaca
- Beats 78%
- Limassol
- Beats 72%
More tree cover than…
- Larnaca
- Beats 11%
- Limassol
- Beats 13%
Includes model estimates as well as station readings, so it can differ from our most polluted and cleanest air rankings, which use station readings only.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
Which has lost more forest, Larnaca or Limassol?
Limassol has lost more: about 92 ha of forest within 10 km of its center from 2001 to 2025, against 1 ha around Larnaca. 57 ha of that was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
Measured within 10 km of each center, from the yearly satellite maps of forest loss: a wider circle than the one for tree cover, because forest is usually lost at a city's edges.
Worst year: 2007, with under 1 ha lost.
Worst year: 2016, with 15 ha lost.
| Larnaca | Limassol | |
|---|---|---|
| Forest lost since 2001Cleared, burned or logged. | 1 ha (better) | 92 ha |
| Cleared for goodTurned into farms, mines or towns. | under 1 ha (better) | 57 ha |
| Recent trend2021–2025 against the five years before. | Too little to call | Too little to call |
| Main known cause | Farms, pasture and plantations (60%) | Farms, pasture and plantations (50%) |
Satellite timelapses
Watch both change, year by year
A clear satellite photo a year of the land around each city. Press play, turn on the forest cleared since the first year, or drag the before and after.
Larnaca
2017: satellite photo from August 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city center.
Limassol
2017: satellite photo from August 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city center.
Trees
Which has more trees, Larnaca or Limassol?
Limassol has more tree cover: 6.3% of the land within 2 km of its center against 5.3% around Larnaca, or about 17,516 trees against 14,136.
The dark mark is each place's canopy target: 30% of the land, raised where air quality is poor.
| Larnaca | Limassol | |
|---|---|---|
| Trees standingEstimated from the canopy area. | 14.1K | 17.5K (better) |
| Trees still neededTo reach the target. Fewer is better. | 65.9K (better) | 65.9K |
| CO₂ absorbed each yearBy the trees already standing. | 311K kg | 385K kg (better) |
Tree cover on the satellite image
The same 2 km radius around each center, with the tree cover the satellite found marked on it.
Reading these numbers
How this comparison is made
Air quality index
The US EPA index, computed from current pollutant concentrations: ground stations where a place has them nearby, and the CAMS atmospheric model everywhere else. It moves hour to hour, so it is a snapshot rather than a verdict on either place. The guideline marks are from the WHO's 2021 air quality guidelines.
Trees and forest
Tree cover is the share of ground under canopy within 2 km of each center, read from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery at 10 m detail. It measures that circle, not the whole municipality, which is what makes the two comparable. Forest loss comes from the University of Maryland's Global Forest Change maps.
More on the method on the About Airleaf page.
Frequently asked
Larnaca vs Limassol: your questions answered
Is Larnaca cleaner than Limassol?
On air quality, yes, right now: Larnaca reads AQI 31 against 38, a gap of 7 points on the US EPA index. This is a live reading rather than an annual average, so it can reverse within a day. But over the past 7 days, on modeled daily averages, Limassol averaged AQI 22 against 23, and it was the cleaner of the two on 3 of those days.
Is it safe to exercise outdoors in Larnaca and Limassol today?
The advice is the same for both today. Air quality is satisfactory for everyone. Larnaca reads AQI 31 and Limassol reads AQI 38.
Which has lost more forest, Larnaca or Limassol?
Limassol has lost more: about 92 ha of forest within 10 km of its center from 2001 to 2025, against 1 ha around Larnaca. 57 ha of that was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
Which has more trees, Larnaca or Limassol?
Limassol has more tree cover: 6.3% of the land within 2 km of its center against 5.3% around Larnaca, or about 17,516 trees against 14,136. Both figures describe the same-sized circle of ground around each center, not the whole municipality.
How many more trees do Larnaca and Limassol need?
Larnaca needs about 65,880 more to reach its canopy target of 30%, and Limassol about 65,893 to reach 30%. The target starts at 30% of the land and rises where air quality is poor.
Are Larnaca and Limassol measured the same way?
The method is the same: the US EPA index for air, and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery at 10 m detail over an identical radius for trees. Both readings come from nearby ground stations. Nothing is adjusted for population, city limits or climate.
How often does the Larnaca vs Limassol comparison update?
The air readings refresh about once an hour, and each reading's local time is shown at the top of the page. Tree cover comes from the latest clear satellite image of each area (Sep 16, 2026 and Sep 16, 2026), and the forest figures are published yearly.
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