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If you already have some experience with PHP and MySQL, you should have no problems getting a site together using Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, or the various other CMS out there.

If you want to build something yourself, you may want to look at django or Ruby on Rails.

Hosting can be done on the cheap. You can get a VPS from Digital Ocean for $5.00/month to start. The first two months will be free with a coupon code.

Setting up a site will not be your biggest hurdle. Your biggest hurdle is getting the word out there and making it relevant to people. If you are successful in growing your user base, then you can worry about hosting costs.