Cyprus Insights/Life in Cyprus
Cyprus Climate All Year: Winter Weather, Summer Heat and What Heating and Cooling an Apartment Costs
Short answer: Cyprus works as a year-round home, but its climate looks different to a resident than to a holidaymaker. In Larnaca and Limassol the nights from June to September average above 20°C, while the coastal winter brings around 60% of the year's rain, nights near 8°C and humidity around 70%. The electricity cost of climate control is moderate: for an 85 m² apartment we calculate below €465 a year in a standard building and €232 in an insulated new-build (as of October 2026, at 28.7 cents per kWh). The gap is felt more in cold and damp than in the bill: in a building without insulation, the shell decides what January feels like.
Cyprus Climate by Month: Coast, Inland and Mountain Temperatures, Rain and the Heat Peak
The table shows long-term averages. Paphos Airport, Larnaca Airport and Athalassa near Nicosia come from the WMO climate normals for 1991–2020, Limassol from the Cyprus Meteorological Service data for 1991–2020, and Prodromos in the Troodos mountains from the service's 1981–2010 normal period (rainfall 2010–2018). Retrieved in October 2026.
| Station | January day / night | August day / night | Rain per year, mm | Share Dec–Feb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paphos Airport | 17.3 / 8.6°C | 31.0 / 21.7°C | 393 | 63% |
| Limassol | 17.9 / 11.2°C | 33.7 / 24.5°C | 408 | 62% |
| Larnaca Airport | 17.1 / 7.8°C | 33.3 / 23.0°C | 350 | 65% |
| Nicosia (Athalassa, 162 m) | 15.8 / 5.7°C | 37.4 / 22.5°C | 344 | 52% |
| Prodromos (Troodos, 1,380 m) | 6.4 / 0.7°C | 28.0 / 18.2°C | 819 | 58% |
On the coast the August daily maximum averages 31.0°C (Paphos) to 33.7°C (Limassol). Readings above 40°C appear as records (Paphos 42.5°C in May, Larnaca 41.5°C in June); no coastal station reaches them as a monthly average. Inland, Nicosia averages a daily maximum of 37.5°C in July and 37.4°C in August, and from June to September it is at least 34°C. On the coast the nights carry the load: the average minimum from June to September is 20.1 to 23.0°C in Larnaca and 21.4 to 24.5°C in Limassol. The sea in Limassol averages 17.0°C in February and 28.0°C in August. A building that absorbed heat all day gives little of it back overnight, so the cooling load runs deep into the night.
Rain belongs to the winter. From December to February Paphos receives 63% and Limassol 62% of the annual total, inland 52%; from June to August Paphos collects 1.9 mm in all. Limassol counts 10.9 days with at least 1 mm of rain in December and 10.2 in January. The sun stays present in winter: Paphos gets 181 hours in December (5.8 a day) and 382 hours in July (12.3 a day).
The mountains keep their own rhythm. In Prodromos an August afternoon is 5.7°C cooler than in Limassol, January nights average 0.7°C, and the 819 mm annual rainfall is roughly double the coast. Using the same method as below (20°C base, monthly means), Prodromos comes to about 2,720 heating degree-days against 602 in Limassol, around four times as many. Anyone living in the hills year-round should plan a larger heating budget. How the two big coastal cities differ in daily life is compared in Paphos vs Limassol.
Cyprus Winter Weather for Residents: Cold and Damp Are Decided by the Building
The common assumption that nobody needs heating in Cyprus does not survive the measurements. The average January night minimum is 7.8°C in Larnaca, 8.6°C in Paphos and 5.7°C in Nicosia. Relative humidity in December and January is 69 to 72% in Paphos and Larnaca and 76 to 77% in Nicosia. Outdoors that is mild. In a building without insulation nothing buffers the cool, and the indoor air gives up its moisture on the coldest surfaces: outside corners, window reveals, walls behind wardrobes. That is how mould forms, even with no leaking pipe or roof.
The Ministry of Energy sizes the older stock: 94% of dwellings were built before mandatory energy requirements and about half have no thermal insulation at all (energy efficiency strategy, citing studies from 2015 and 2016); the 2020 status report on the EU buildings directive gives 91%. The first binding values for insulation and double glazing date from 21 December 2007. Eurostat shows 32.1% of Cyprus's population living in a dwelling with a leaking roof, damp walls or rot in window frames in 2023, against 15.6% across the EU. Being unable to keep the home adequately warm was reported by 11.3% in 2025 (EU: 8.8%), down from 17.1% in 2023.
A new-build sits at a different level. According to the 2020 status report, new buildings must reach energy class A from 2020 and cover at least 25% of their primary energy from renewables; for homes the space-heating need is capped at 15 kWh/m² a year. A building built to the rules in force since 2007 uses about 50% less energy than one from before them, an assumption the Ministry cites. What that means for the purchase decision is covered in new-build or resale. Even in a new-build the window joints, seals and roof waterproofing belong in the inspection; the snagging checklist lists them. An energy performance certificate has been mandatory for sales and rentals since 2010, and you can ask for it.
Electricity for Heating and Cooling in Cyprus: A Yearly Bill for an 85 m² Apartment
The worked example takes a two-bedroom apartment of 85 m² in the Limassol climate. It is held at no less than 20°C and no more than 24°C all year, around the clock, with reversible air-conditioning units. Compared are a standard building from before the insulation rules and an insulated new-build with identical equipment. The steps:
- Degree-days. Heating degree-days of a month = (20°C − monthly mean) × days, when the mean is below 20°C. Cooling degree-days = (monthly mean − 24°C) × days, when it is above 24°C. The monthly means are in the table below.
- Heat demand. kWh = heat-loss coefficient (heat lost per kelvin of temperature difference) × 24 h × degree-days ÷ 1,000. Assumption: 180 W/K for the standard building (2.1 W/K per m²) and 90 W/K for the new-build, half as much, in line with the roughly 50% saving the Ministry cites.
- Electricity demand. Heat demand divided by the heat pump's coefficient of performance: 3.2 for heating and 2.5 for cooling. These are the values in the calculation model of the energy efficiency strategy.
- Price. See the next table.
The price follows Tariff 01 (one price around the clock) of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus. The authority's worked example dated 30 April 2026 gives these basic prices for bi-monthly-billed households on low voltage at a basic fuel price of €600 per tonne (as of October 2026):
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Energy charge | 17.89 cent per kWh |
| Network charge | 3.93 cent per kWh |
| Ancillary services charge | 0.00 cent per kWh |
| Fuel adjustment (our assumption, changes monthly) | 5.00 cent per kWh |
| Public service obligation (PSO) | 0.051 cent per kWh |
| Subtotal | 26.871 cent per kWh |
| VAT at 5% (1 May 2026 to 31 March 2027) | 1.344 cent per kWh |
| RES and energy-saving fund (no VAT, approximate) | 0.500 cent per kWh |
| Price per kWh | 28.715 cent |
| Fixed items per two-month period | Meter reading €0.94, supply €8.00 |
The fuel adjustment is the uncertain variable. For 2026 the authority publishes monthly fuel prices between about €621 and €916 per tonne; we use 5.00 cents per kWh, which at the coefficient for July to September 2026 (low voltage, 0.00026557) corresponds to a fuel price of about €788 per tonne. That gives 28.715 cents per kWh, rounded to 28.7 cents. The fixed items are 6 × (€0.94 + €8.00) = €53.64 net, €56.32 with 5% VAT, per year. The table covers only heating and cooling; the rest of the household's electricity comes on top.
| Month (mean) | Heating degree-days | Cooling degree-days | Standard kWh | New-build kWh | Standard € | New-build € |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan (14.6 °C) | 167 | 0 | 226 | 113 | 64.90 | 32.45 |
| Feb (14.6 °C) | 151 | 0 | 204 | 102 | 58.58 | 29.29 |
| Mar (16.4 °C) | 112 | 0 | 151 | 75 | 43.36 | 21.54 |
| Apr (18.9 °C) | 33 | 0 | 45 | 22 | 12.92 | 6.32 |
| May (22.7 °C) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Jun (26.3 °C) | 0 | 69 | 119 | 60 | 34.17 | 17.23 |
| Jul (28.9 °C) | 0 | 152 | 262 | 131 | 75.23 | 37.62 |
| Aug (29.1 °C) | 0 | 158 | 273 | 137 | 78.39 | 39.34 |
| Sep (26.9 °C) | 0 | 87 | 150 | 75 | 43.07 | 21.54 |
| Oct (23.8 °C) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Nov (19.6 °C) | 12 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 4.59 | 2.30 |
| Dec (15.9 °C) | 127 | 0 | 172 | 86 | 49.39 | 24.69 |
| Year, heating and cooling only | 602 | 466 | 1,618 | 809 | 464.60 | 232.32 |
| Fixed charges (€53.64 net plus 5% VAT) | 56.32 | 56.32 | ||||
| Annual total | 520.92 | 288.64 |
The standard building needs 1,618 kWh a year, 814 kWh for heating and 804 kWh for cooling, and costs €464.60 plus €56.32 in fixed items, €520.92 in all. The new-build needs 809 kWh (406 heating, 403 cooling) for €232.32, €288.64 with the fixed items. The difference is €232.28 a year, half the consumption. In Limassol heating and cooling come out about equal.
Four variations show the range:
- Fuel adjustment. Each extra cent per kWh before VAT adds €16.99 a year in the standard building and €8.49 in the new-build.
- Top floor with a west facade. If the coefficient rises to 250 W/K, the standard building needs 2,248 kWh and costs €645.51. For the effect of compass direction and floor level see orientation and floor level.
- Paphos instead of Limassol. With the monthly means of Paphos Airport (cooler summer, colder winter) the standard building comes to 1,451 kWh and €416.64, of which 1,200 kWh is heating and only 251 kWh cooling; the new-build to 725 kWh and €208.18.
- Part-time use. The calculation model of the energy efficiency strategy assumes heating runs 61.1% of the time and air conditioning 26.3% (2009 survey). Applied here, the standard building falls to 708 kWh and about €203.
The model works with monthly means. It understates shoulder months such as May and October, when single days need cooling, and leaves out solar and internal heat gains. It gives the order of magnitude and the ratio between the two buildings; it makes no promise for a particular apartment. How the electricity bill fits into the other outgoings is in cost of living in Cyprus.
Viewing Property in Cyprus: The Best and Worst Months According to the Climate Data
The right month for a viewing depends on what you want to test. The climate data suggest this split:
| Period | What the data show | What the visit is good for |
|---|---|---|
| December to February | Wettest months (Limassol: 10.2 to 10.9 rain days), coastal nights in January and February 7.6 to 11.2°C | Damp, leaks and cold indoors; a visit after a rainy day |
| March to May | Coast 19 to 27°C by day, 11 to 35 mm of rain a month in Paphos | The most pleasant time to judge location, neighbourhood and construction progress |
| June to September | Nicosia 34 to 37°C by day, coastal nights 20 to 24.5°C | Afternoon heating-up, air-conditioning performance, shade on balcony and terrace |
| October and November | Coast 27 to 28°C by day in October and about 23°C in November, sea in Limassol 25 and 22°C | The best mix of comfort and the first autumn rain |
In August the daily maximum is 37.4°C inland and 31 to 34°C on the coast; a visit is tiring and shows only the heat side of a building. The damp side shows in winter. A buyer abroad can combine two visits, one in late autumn and one in February, or hand the second check to someone on site; the approach is described in buying property in Cyprus remotely.
At the coastal stations the average January night minimum is between 7.8 and 11.2°C; the lowest values ever recorded are −3.6°C (Paphos Airport) and −1.3°C (Larnaca Airport). In Prodromos at 1,380 m the average January minimum is 0.7°C and the record −10.7°C (1981–2010 normal period).
In the authority's worked example of 30 April 2026, Tariff 02 energy costs 17.94 cents per kWh by day (09:00 to 23:00) and 17.86 cents at night (23:00 to 09:00); network and ancillary charges are the same. The gap is 0.08 cents, or €0.80 before VAT on 1,000 kWh used at night. Check the current tariff sheet before choosing.
Adjustment in cents per kWh = (current fuel price − €600 per tonne) × 100 × coefficient. With the low-voltage coefficient for July to September 2026 (0.00026557), €700 per tonne gives 2.66 cents and €915.50 per tonne gives 8.38 cents. The authority publishes prices and coefficients on its fuel adjustment page.
According to the reports available, net metering was open to new systems only until 31 December 2025. For new systems, surplus power has been settled differently since 1 January 2026, at a price that varies by month. A system is therefore more likely to be sized to the household's own daytime use, for instance air conditioning at midday. Existing contracts keep their terms; check the contract for term and settlement.
The Ministry's energy efficiency strategy gives households a ratio of about 84% solar thermal to 16% conventional fuels for hot water (data from before 2020). Ask about collector area, tank size and back-up heating for any property.
If you are comparing new apartments in Paphos, current listings are under off-plan properties in Paphos and 2-bedroom apartments in Paphos. For each property, ask for the energy performance certificate and the insulation details.
