The best easily available and cheaper non San marzanos we get here is from the cirio brand. I don't know which of their products are available where you are but we get fillets, whole peeled plum tomatoes, chopped, Finely chopped with puree, rough passata, finely sieved passata. The best are the fillets. I've tried all the other easily available supermarket brands in the UK and cirio won out every time I've compared them. Of the different San marzano brands I've tried, some are a similar quality, some are milder in flavour and some are definitely better but as you noted they cost more, so it's up to you if you want to pay more.
