Oaxaca City sits at about 1,550 meters in a valley in southern Mexico, with its own airport (OAX) roughly 20 minutes from the historic center — most renters fly directly rather than routing through Mexico City. The dry season runs November through April; May through October brings the rains, usually as a heavy but short afternoon downpour rather than all-day weather.
Two weeks that change the rental market
Día de los Muertos (the days around November 1–2) and the Guelaguetza festival in late July are the two events that fill the city and push short-term prices up citywide. If your stay overlaps either, book well ahead and expect the neighborhood around the historic center to be loud and busy for those specific days — it settles back down quickly once the festival ends.
What a furnished rental here usually means
As almost everywhere in Mexico, tap water is not potable — bottled or filtered water is standard and not a sign of anything wrong with a listing. Older buildings in the historic center can have basic plumbing and limited hot water pressure; newer construction in Reforma is more consistently reliable on both. Ask specifically about hot water and internet speed if you plan to work from the rental, since older colonial buildings vary a lot house to house.
Getting your bearings
Centro puts the markets, mezcalerías, and colonial architecture on foot, at the cost of street noise and older buildings. Jalatlaco, the muralled former tannery district just east, has the same walkability with a quieter, more local feel and a strong café scene. Xochimilco, just north of Centro, is Jalatlaco's calmer neighbor — residential, still an easy walk in, and usually a better price for the same space. Reforma, further north, trades colonial charm for modern apartments, bigger supermarkets, and a car-friendly layout — the choice for a longer stay if you'd rather have reliable infrastructure than a cobblestone view.