I depend on taxis, buses and my own two feet to get around. It's not that cold in Ulaanbaatar yet, but December and January will be brutally cold. I am trying to enjoy the nice weather as long as I can before it gets way too cold. When it does, I'll have to stop walking as much and rely more on public transportation.
People usually get around by bus, but there is also a taxi system where regular people pick up passengers in their personal vehicles for extra money. The same sort of system exists in places like Moscow. It is common knowledge here that every kilometer traveled costs 1,000 Mongolian tugrigs (about $0.39). The system is not really like Uber because you do not need to sign up with a business in order to become a driver. When you need a taxi, you just hold out your hand and see who is willing to pick you up and drive you for part of your journey.
When I first started hailing taxis, I felt a bit awkward about getting into a stranger's personal vehicle. However, I probably practice the most Mongolian with people who have driven me around the city. I have met so many wonderful Mongolians by riding in their cars.
