Is There Uber in Oaxaca? What Actually Works in 2026

Short answer: no. Uber does not work in Oaxaca in 2026 — not in Oaxaca City, and not on the coast — and neither does DiDi. You can open the app and even see little cars on the map, but the request spins and no ride ever comes. It isn't a temporary outage: it has been this way for years, and travelers who plan around ride-hailing get an expensive surprise at the airport curb. Here's why, and — more usefully — how people actually get around, from the capital down to Puerto Escondido.

Why there's no Uber in Oaxaca

Oaxaca's taxi organizations have kept ride-hailing apps out of the state for nearly a decade. There have been attempts — DiDi once launched a "DiDi Taxi" mode in the capital in partnership with registered cabs, and every so often a rumor circulates that Uber has "finally arrived" — but in practice, neither Uber nor DiDi genuinely operates anywhere in Oaxaca state. The taxi unions are strong, the state government hasn't pushed back, and the result is a fully traditional transport ecosystem: sitio taxis, colectivos and long-distance vans.

That's less of a problem than it sounds. Taxis in Oaxaca are everywhere and, by big-city standards, cheap. It just works differently from what the app taught you: you agree on the fare before getting in instead of letting an algorithm set it.

Getting around Oaxaca City

• Sitio taxis: the standard option. Every neighborhood has its taxi stand ("sitio") with a phone number; any hotel or restaurant will call one for you. A ride within the center typically costs under 100 MXN — confirm the price before you get in.
• Street taxis: plentiful and commonly used by day. At night, have your hotel phone a sitio cab instead.
• From Oaxaca airport (OAX): the airport runs an official prepaid-ticket counter for ground transport — shared colectivo or private taxi at fixed zone rates. No app needed: you buy the ticket on your way out past baggage claim.
• Mototaxis and city buses: they exist and cost next to nothing, but for visitors the sitio taxi is the practical choice.

From Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido

If the coast is your real destination, the good news is the trip got easy: the Barranca Larga–Ventanilla highway cut the drive to about 2.5–3 hours. All the options — shared vans, the overnight ADO bus, a small plane, or a rental car — are compared with real prices and schedules in our guide to getting to Puerto Escondido from Mexico City and Oaxaca.

And in Puerto Escondido? Also no Uber

Same state, same rules: there is no Uber or DiDi in Puerto Escondido either. Getting around is still simple: zone-rate taxis, colectivos running the coastal highway for pocket change, and scooter rentals for longer stays. We cover it in detail in Is Uber Available in Puerto Escondido? Getting Around Like a Local and the full guide to taxis, colectivos and scooters.

For arrival day, we have an airport-by-airport breakdown: from Puerto Escondido airport (PXM) to your rental and from Huatulco airport (HUX) to Puerto Escondido.

Quick tips for paying a fair price

• Ask the fare before getting in. It's the local norm, not an insult. Asking your host "what should that ride cost?" calibrates you within a day.
• Carry cash in small bills. Almost no taxi takes cards, and finding change for a 500-peso note is an extreme sport.
• At night, phone a sitio. Your accommodation will have the number of the nearest stand.
• At either airport, use the official counter. Both OAX and PXM run prepaid fixed-rate systems that spare you any curbside haggling with your luggage in hand.

Frequently Asked Questions