Is deploying/hosting Java written web applications more costly than other PHP web applications? What about the cloud solutions & VPS hosting for Java web apps if my app is bigger?
What are the other technical difficulties in deployment of such applications?
Are EJBs required in web application development?
If you are seeking for true charging you can give a try to automatic vertical scaling available in Jelastic. This is an alternative in terms of cloud solutions, where you actually pay only for the resources consumed.
If you're speaking of costs/ money/ pricing of hosting web applications, then PHP may be a better option. This is because there are lots of servers which provide PHP support. By looking just at the numbers, hosting PHP websites are easier and cheaper.
The main reason is because it is comparatively easy to learn and use PHP. That's why, many beginners start developing in PHP.
However, Java would help if you're developing a highly scalable Web Application.
yes, java hosting is generally more expensive than php hostings.