Indoor smoking is still visible in some indoor social life. Law vibe is more formal and rule-shaped than casually loose.
Minimum budget: rural $500/mo, urban $1000/mo. Medical insurance: $600/yr.
Auto: Russian local licenses are normally enough for short stays because the format is familiar, but an IDP, translation helps at international desks. Rentals are about $30-70/day for Solaris, Rio, Logan class and $70-140+ for SUVs in steppe, mountain seasons. Kyrgyzstan is sometimes possible with permission; Russia, Uzbekistan, China crossings are supplier-specific, bureaucratic and queue-prone.
Smoking: Indoor smoking is still visible in some indoor social life.
Police / rules: Police and public-order vibe is formal and rule-aware: expect visible order and some bureaucratic seriousness, with less casual flexibility than in softer places.