PHP is okay, depending on what you need it for. Personally I prefer C#, but if the server is Linux, PHP is a very good alternative. I use PHP, PERL, C#, and VB.net about an even amount of time. Again, it depends on the server and what the client already has in place.
I’m with you on C# and the Asp.Net framework. There is a free edition of Visual Studio 2012 (Express) and you can even use a version of Sql Server (compact edition) for light database work. There are many many examples and templates to do most common types of sites. 3K sounds like a lot for a transfer... .