There are also possibilities about using github, netlify, etc as hosts but to use those means I have to learn a lot more. I don’t use git at the moment though despite several attempts to get to grips with it. In the examples I have looked at though it looks feasible.
It seems to me you have tackled the whole task of building a website from the hardest end.
Apache2 + local wordpress install + mysql database might be much easier to setup even if just because the vast majority of the internet runs on that so there’s ton of resources to help you get along fast. nginx is another can of worms by itself. If you want nginx-level performance Litespeed is your buddy (openlitespeed if you want to deploy it on your local server) as it is a drop-in replacement for apache, so everything that works on apache works on litespeed. nginx has its own limitations (does not support .htaccess files) as it breaks apache compatibility and has lower support from hosting companies in general.