9 Best Hostels in Oaxaca City, Mexico (A Backpacker’s Guide)
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Great nightlife, quaint cobbled streets, cute cafes, and local eats are just a few reasons why backpackers flock to Oaxaca City.
And where backpackers and budget travelers go, really fun and varied hostels tend to follow.
There are are about a dozen or so hostels in Oaxaca City, and in this guide I break down the top-rated hostels based on experience, reviews, amenities, vibes, and, of course, affordability.
Whether you are looking for a typical youth hostel or a hostel that is more down-to-earth and quiet, this round-up of the best hostels in Oaxaca has just what you are looking for.
If you don’t have time to read through all the details and descriptions of each, you can use the menu to quick jump based on your preferences, or use the quick links to book your stay now in the overview box divided by category.
And, if you have any questions about visiting Oaxaca beyond your hostel experience, please drop me a comment below this post and check out my other Oaxaca travel guides.
Here is the ultimate guide to Oaxaca’s best hostels for backpackers and adventurous travelers!
The 9 Best Hostels in Oaxaca, Mexico
The Best Hostels in Oaxaca At a Glance:
🌟 Best Value: Azul Cielo Hostel
💎 Awesome Amenities: Ticuchi Hostal
🎒 Best Vibes:/Atmosphere: Iguana Hostel
💵 Most Budget-Friendly: Hostal de las Américas
🍹 Best Party Hostel: Casa Angel Hostel
📖 Most Chill/Quiet: Hostal Luz de Luna
Please note that nightly price estimates of each hostel featured below are accurate at the time of writing but are subject to change.
1. Azul Cielo Hostel
- 💰 Price: $17–20+ USD / $260–500+ MXN
- 🛏️ Rooms: Female Dorms, Shared/Mixed Dorms, Private Rooms
- 📍 Location: Historic Center, Calle Arteaga 608
- ✨ Highlights: Free Breakfast, Rooftop Bar, Complimentary Bikes
- ➡️ Book now: Booking.com | Hostelworld.com
Azul Cielo Hostel is set in a beautiful colonial-style home with an inner garden located in Oaxaca’s historic center.
Its prime location on a quiet street places you just a 10-minute walk away from the Zócalo (Central Park) plus myriad historic sites, restaurants, and markets.
A stay here means getting to be within easy reach of the top things to do in Oaxaca, but not too far from comfort.
Based on your budget, you can choose from female-only dorm rooms, deluxe mixed rooms (with a reduced number of beds), or boutique-style private rooms.
With each, enjoy a free, typical breakfast and complimentary bicycles.
From the gardens to the communal rooms to the bedrooms, decorations of locally and regionally sourced Oaxacan art and crafts paint the walls and grace the tables.
If you are looking for a place to hang out, Azul Cielo provides outlets for that; a rooftop terrace and bar, shared kitchen, and an inviting common area all invite backpackers and travelers to meet after returning from their adventures and day trips from the city.
What’s more, whether you would like to go on organized tours to Monte Albán, Hierve El Agua, or take on-site yoga or cooking classes, the personable staff at Azul Cielo can help square that away for you as well.
Considering the comfort, convenience, and overall vibes of Azul Cielo, it is no wonder that this hostel in Oaxaca remains a top-rated place to stay on a budget!
👉 Check rates/availability on Booking | Hostelworld
2. Ticuchi Hostal
- 💰 Price: $16–20 USD / $300+ MXN
- 🛏️ Rooms: 6, 8, or 10-Bed Shared Dormitory and Private Rooms
- 📍 Location: Avenida José María Morelos (Centro)
- ✨ Highlights: Pool, Friendly Staff, Garden/Bar, Location, Vibes
- ➡️ Check availability: Booking.com | Hostelworld
If you are looking for something that’s a bit more upscale and down-to-earth, like a boutique hostel, then check out Ticuchi Hostal.
While many youth hostels focus on getting social, this one oozes a more laid-back hostel vibe with a relaxed garden patio surrounding an inviting pool, a no-fuss communal kitchen, and bright, airy dorm rooms. (Indeed, they are the only hostel in Oaxaca with a pool!)
If you are here in Oaxaca to soak up the city’s colorful culture and history (and rightly so!) then you will be happy to know that the Oaxacan Textile Museum and the San Pablo Cultural Center are just around the corner, as are numerous eateries, shops, cute Oaxacan cafes with Wi-Fi, and mezcal bars.
As for the sleeping situation, the bar closes at 11 pm so you can get some shut-eye after hours.
Rooms are mixed dorms with 6, 8, or 10 beds—all of which come equipped with individual power outlets, reading lights and lockers, plus recently-renovated modern bathrooms with pressurized showers.
To me, this hostel serves up an awesome mix between personal comfort and community.
Choose whether or not you’d like to join in on the fun for karaoke nights and salsa dancing or retreat back to your bed and read! The best of both worlds is at Ticuchi.
That said, if you’re looking for a hostel in Oaxaca City primarily for a good time and a place to party, read on!
👉 Check rates/reviews for Ticuchi Hostal on Booking | Hostelworld
3. Casa Angel Hostel
- 💰 Price: $20–30+ USD / $370–600+ MXN
- 🛏️ Rooms: Deluxe Female-Only/Shared and Private Rooms
- 📍 Location: Calle de Tinoco y Palacios 610
- ✨ Highlights: Social Atmosphere, Friendly Service, Rooftop Terrace, Included Breakfast
- ➡️ Book it on Hostelworld
Casa Angel Hostel considers itself a “stylish backpacker” hostel in Oaxaca, and they’re not lying!
This upbeat party hostel is located just a stone’s throw from the popular Santo Tomás Xochimilco neighborhood which is quintessentially Oaxaca.
Not only does its location mean you are within 7–13 minutes walking distance of the city’s top attractions—like the Temple of Santo Domingo de Gúzman or the Bénito Júarez Market—but it also means you will get to return to your dorm room at night and have a great night’s sleep away from the bustle of the center.
With daily Happy Hour and social events going on all the time, Casa Angel is the place to be if you want to party alongside other backpackers at night or hang out on the rooftop terrace/bar for some downtime during the day.
👉 Secure your bed at Casa Angel on Hostelworld
4. Iguana Hostel Oaxaca
- 💰 Price: $15–19 USD / $300+ MXN
- 🛏️ Rooms: Shared Dorms and Private Rooms
- 📍 Location: Avenida José María Morelos 1008 (Centro)
- ✨ Highlights: Individual Beds, Rooftop Bar, Wi-Fi, Free Breakfast, Pet-Friendly
- ➡️ Check reviews: Booking.com | Hostelworld
If you want the community aspect of a hostel, but without as much of a focus on partying/drinking, then check out the Iguana Hostel in downtown Oaxaca.
Here, you are encouraged to meet other travelers and get social. Iguana’s vibrant, colorful atmosphere and unfussy amenities give an upbeat energy to the place.
Accommodation types range from 4, 8, 10, or 12 beds in mixed dormitories, plus private twin/shared rooms. There isn’t an option for female-only dorms.
All beds feature privacy curtains, personal lights, outlets and lockers.
That said, Iguana Hostel is the rare hostel in Oaxaca that offers actual individual beds instead of bunkbeds—so you don’t have to choose between top or bottom and get woken up by your bunkmate.
A communal, complimentary breakfast is served each day and Sundays are pancake days! 🥞
Lastly, true to its laid-back nature, the Iguana Hostel is pet-friendly (and adults-only), and there is a rooftop bar with hammocks for hanging out.
👉 Check availability for Iguana Hostel on Booking | Hostelworld
5. Selina Oaxaca
- 💰 Price: $17–25 USD (Dorms) / $300–500+ MXN
- 🛏️ Rooms: Shared Dorms, Female-Only, and Private Rooms
- 📍 Location: Calle 5 de Mayo 217 (Heart of Oaxaca City)
- ✨ Highlights: Ideal Location, Good Atmosphere, Coworking Space, Rooftop, Community
- ➡️ Check availability: Booking.com | Hostelworld
If you are a digital nomad in Oaxaca then you will especially appreciate the Selina Oaxaca.
Selina’s “Stay, Work, Explore, Cowork” motto invites nomads, backpackers, and even families to do just that in the heart of Oaxaca City.
That said, Selina is one of the few hostels in Oaxaca that is both pet-friendly and accepts kids.
Their clean and spacious upcycled-artsy private rooms are ideal for couples and adults with small children. There are both female-only dormitories as well as mixed dorms.
The only downside to the dorm rooms is that there aren’t any private curtains like in some other hostels.
The fast-growing hostel/nomad hotel chain is mostly known throughout Latin America as a place for coworking, wellness, surfing, or partying but they can now be found across the US and Europe.
For example, they have locations in digital nomad destinations across Mexico such as Puerto Escondido and Tulum but we also saw Selina Hostels when we were nomadic in Lake Atitlán and as nomads in Antigua, Guatemala.
👉 Check rates/reviews for Selina Hostel on Booking | Hostelworld
6. Hostal de las Américas
- 💰 Price: $8–15 USD / $250–350 MXN (Low/High season)
- 🛏️ Rooms: Mixed/Female Dorms and Private Rooms
- 📍 Location: Calle Porfirio Díaz 300 (Historic Center)
- ✨ Highlights: Affordable, Prime Location, AC, Rooftop, Terrace, Free Breakfast
- ➡️ Check reviews: Booking.com | Hostelworld
Set in an idyllic location in Oaxaca’s Centro Historíco, just two blocks away from the pedestrian-only Anadaor Túristico and Santo Domingo Temple, you will find the budget-friendly Hostal de las Américas.
This hostel is ideal for travelers on a budget who want a simple, safe, comfortable, and convenient hostel experience in Oaxaca.
The mixed and female-only dorms offer the choice of either 4, 6, or 7 bunk beds which is much smaller than most hostels in Oaxaca. Private rooms, if you prefer, are available for a small upgrade as well.
Both accommodation options feature wooden bedframes, comfortable linens, private bathrooms, and air conditioning.
While the common rooms could use a modern makeover, the charm of the colonial-style building makes up for it.
The property also rooftop terrace/garden, guest kitchen, and common area with a TV. Breakfast is included with your stay.
👉 Check rates/availability for Hostal de las Américas on Booking | Hostelworld
7. Hostal Luz de Luna
- 💰 Price: $11–13 USD / $200+ MXN
- 🛏️ Rooms: 8-Bed Mixed Dorm, Twin/Double Private Rooms
- 📍 Location: Avenida Juárez 101 (Centro)
- ✨ Highlights: Chill Vibes, Quiet, Cheap, Free Breakfast, Garden
- ➡️ Check availability: Booking.com | Hostelworld
For a hostel where you don’t have to worry about getting woken up by noise or partiers, consider staying at the homely, plant-filled Hostal Luz de Luna Nuyoo.
This hostel is not your typical “social hostel” with a bar or events, but it’s got its own charm to it that attracts a quieter traveler.
So, if reading in a hammock or playing chess, cooking your own meals, and petting a couple of cats on the property is more your style, you’d feel right at home here.
What’s more, this hostel commits to sustainable practices by upcycling rainwater to nourish their plants, recycling and separating waste and using a solar water heater.
The location is great, too, being set in a typical Oaxacan colonial home just three blocks from the main plaza (Zócalo) and close to markets, restaurants, and the main draws of the city.
Solo travelers on a shoestring budget will appreciate the affordable nightly rates and basic but comfortable amenities of this hostel, and shouldn’t overlook it!
👉 Check availability for Hostal Luz de Luna on Booking | Hostelworld
8. Hostal Oaxaca Magic
- 💰 Price: $15–25 USD / $300–500+ MXN
- 🛏️ Rooms: 8-Bed Shared Dorms and Private Rooms
- 📍 Location: Calle de Manuel Fernández Fiallo 309
- ✨ Highlights: Local, Positive Vibes, Location, Privacy
- ➡️ Book now: Booking.com
Hostal Oaxaca Magic is a family-owned guesthouse in Oaxaca City that offers comfort, cleanliness, and friendly service in a quirky atmosphere full of character.
Not to be confused with the Hotel Magíco, the Hostal Oaxaca Magic is located conveniently on the eastern edge of the historic center.
That said, this hostel is ideal for couples or backpackers who are willing to spend a bit more for privacy.
While there are 8-bed dorms, the Economy Double Room with a full or twin bed all to yourself is the one most guests opt for.
For a more local hostel experience in Oaxaca City with a local Oaxacan family, consider booking here!
👉 Check reviews for Hostal Oaxaca Magic on Booking.com
9. Hierba de Conejo Hostel
- 💰 Price: $13–$20 USD / $240+ MXN
- 🛏️ Rooms: Shared/Mixed Dorms, Family Rooms
- 📍 Location: Heart of Oaxaca Centro, Calle de Manuel Fernández Fiallo 305
- ✨ Highlights: Central Location, Budget-Friendly, Quiet
- ➡️ Book now: Booking.com | Hostelworld
Finally, if you want to just simply have a roof over your head and a comfortable bed to sleep in, then check out the Hierba de Conejo Hostel.
Located just next door to the Hostal Oaxaca Magic—two blocks from the Zócalo and steps away from great restaurants and activities—Conejo is a great choice for travelers looking for a no-fuss budget-friendly accommodation in the heart of Oaxaca.
Conejo Hostel, in addition to having 4, 6, 10, or 12-bed mixed dorms, has family rooms for groups of family or friends wishing to bunk together.
Certainly, the aforementioned hostels offer a slightly better community atmosphere and more modern amenities, but sometimes plans fall through and you need a safety net.
Overall, Conejo offers clean, comfortable stays in the heart of Oaxaca, and you can’t go wrong with that!
👉 Compare rates for Conejo Hostel on Booking.com or Hostelworld
If you’re curious to discover even more hostels and budget-friendly places to stay in Oaxaca City, you can use this search bar below to do a quick search!
As a backpacker in Oaxaca, you might be wondering, is Oaxaca safe?
The quick answer is yes, and as one of the safest cities to visit in Mexico, there are many other reasons to visit Oaxaca.
If ever you need help planning your trip or need further advice on which hostel to pick, please reach out on Instagram @bucketlistbri or shoot me a quick email.
Have a wonderful time discovering Oaxaca and its hidden gems bursting with rich culture, history, and gastronomy!