City comparison
Dhaka vs Kolkata air quality
Live AQI comparison between Dhaka and Kolkata. Data updates every 15 minutes.
Dhaka and Kolkata differ by 5 AQI points right now. Dhaka has cleaner air at this moment.
What drives air quality in Dhaka and Kolkata
Dhaka
Dhaka's extremely dense traffic and surrounding brick-kiln activity produce persistently high fine-particle pollution. Narrow street canyons and slow-moving congestion keep nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5 elevated near ground level through much of the day.
Kolkata
Kolkata experiences strong seasonal swings, with winter PM2.5 episodes driven by inversion traps, biomass burning, and congested diesel traffic across the Gangetic plain. Fine particles often dominate health risk during calm, cool nights and mornings.
Both cities are shaped by different combinations of traffic density, terrain, weather patterns, and seasonal events, which is why the same AQI band can feel different on the ground. Checking live readings rather than relying on reputation or past visits is the most reliable way to plan travel, exercise, or outdoor time between the two.
Live AQI from Open-Meteo (CAMS). Conditions change hourly — refresh for the latest readings. South African cities may show WAQI station data on their dedicated pages.