>This sounds like one of those few weird things in the US where the processed version's somehow cheaper.

If you buy it in a supermarket, minced/chopped garlic is more expensive. Mostly (I surmise) because they charge a lot for the tiny jars and don't sell the big ones.

I buy my garlic online from folks who generally sell to restaurants/food service companies. As such, I pay much, much less than from the supermarket.

If I couldn't get the big jars at a good price, I'd use the fresh stuff more often.