I'd assume something like a basic dedicated server, starting at $50/mo (you can find deals like this from webhostingtalk forums). So maybe he's paying around $

I'd assume something like a basic dedicated server, starting at $50/mo (you can find deals like this from webhostingtalk forums). So maybe he's paying around $600-$1000/year on average. Probably started off cheaper and then gradually ramped it up as went. A simple site could start off with a $5/mo VPS and then eventually you could migrate to a dedicated server.