Public transit is cheap and reliable - tram, bus, route taxis marshrutni. Taxi service generally costs 50 rubles US$1.65 as of July 2009 for almost anywhere in town, per stop. Official taxis are recommended, they are easily available in the center of the city, avoid private taxis chastniki.
Basically no English is spoken, do not expect to be able to comfortably move around the city without brushed-up knowledge of Russian or assistance from a translator.
City phone code is 8672.
