A variable capacity rotary compressor includes a hermetic casing, a housing installed in the hermetic casing to define therein first and second compression chambers having different capacities, and a compressing unit placed in the first and second compression chambers and operated to execute a compression operation in either the first or second compression chamber according to a rotating direction of a rotating shaft which drives the compressing unit. The compressor further includes a suction path controller having a hollow body and a valve unit, and a pressure controller. The hollow body has an inlet connected to a refrigerant inlet pipe, and first and second outlets formed on the hollow body at opposite ends of the hollow body to be spaced apart from the inlet of the hollow body. The valve unit is installed in the hollow body to axially reciprocate in the hollow body to change a refrigerant suction path by a pressure difference between the first and second outlets of the hollow body. The pressure controller includes a high-pressure pipe to connect an outlet side of the compressor to the suction path controller, and first and second communicating paths provided on both sides of the valve unit to be spaced apart from each other.