656 km · 15 toll plazas · about 12 h 20 min on the road. Change the vehicle, fuel or mileage below and every number updates.
“est.” = this plaza doesn't publish fees in the NHAI dataset; we use the median fee for your vehicle class.
Kochi to Mahabalipuram is a full day on the road of 656 km, mostly on NH544 and Salem - Kochi - Kanyakumari Highway.
You cross 15 toll plazas across Kerala, Tamil Nadu. For a car the published fees add up to ₹925 one way, about ₹1.41 per km, which is on the expensive side for Indian highways. 1 plaza on this route does not publish fees in the NHAI dataset; budget about ₹80 extra to be safe.
States on the way: KeralaTamil Nadu
Fees for a single journey with FASTag. Return fees apply when you come back through the same plaza within 24 hours; a monthly pass covers 50 single journeys in a month.
| # | Toll plaza | At km | State | Car single | Car return | Car monthly | LCV | Bus/Truck | Multi-axle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paliyekkara | 71 | Kerala | ₹90 | ₹140 | ₹2,760 | ₹160 | ₹320 | ₹515 |
| 2 | Panniyankara | 105 | Kerala | ₹115 | ₹170 | ₹3,825 | ₹180 | ₹360 | ₹550 |
| 3 | Chullimada Hamlet (Pampampallam) | 154 | Kerala | ₹80 | ₹120 | ₹2,710 | ₹130 | ₹275 | ₹430 |
| 4 | Madukkarai | 174 | Tamil Nadu | ₹35 | ₹55 | ₹1,210 | ₹60 | ₹125 | ₹195 |
| 5 | Pollachi Cochin | 179 | Tamil Nadu | ₹45 | ₹17 | — | ₹66 | ₹132 | ₹198 |
| 6 | Trichy Cochin | 193 | Tamil Nadu | ₹45 | ₹17 | — | ₹66 | ₹132 | ₹198 |
| 7 | Neelambur | 200 | Tamil Nadu | ₹5 | ₹17 | — | ₹66 | ₹132 | ₹198 |
| 8 | Kaniyur | 208 | Tamil Nadu | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | Vijaymangalmam | 256 | Tamil Nadu | ₹70 | ₹105 | ₹2,060 | ₹120 | ₹240 | ₹385 |
| 10 | Vaigundam | 317 | Tamil Nadu | ₹75 | ₹115 | ₹2,275 | ₹135 | ₹265 | ₹425 |
| 11 | Mettupatti | 369 | Tamil Nadu | ₹65 | ₹95 | ₹1,930 | ₹115 | ₹225 | ₹360 |
| 12 | Nathakkarai | 421 | Tamil Nadu | ₹65 | ₹95 | ₹1,930 | ₹115 | ₹225 | ₹360 |
| 13 | Veeracholapuram (West) | 453 | Tamil Nadu | ₹65 | ₹95 | ₹1,930 | ₹115 | ₹225 | ₹360 |
| 14 | Sengurichi | 491 | Tamil Nadu | ₹65 | ₹100 | ₹1,995 | ₹115 | ₹235 | ₹375 |
| 15 | Vikravandi (Villupuram) | 536 | Tamil Nadu | ₹105 | ₹155 | ₹3,100 | ₹180 | ₹360 | ₹580 |
| Total (published fees) | 656 | ₹925 | ₹1,296 | ₹1,623 | ₹3,251 | ₹5,129 |
Totals for all 15 plazas, including our estimate for 1 plaza without published fees. “No FASTag” is the 1.25x UPI rate.
| Vehicle class | One way (FASTag) | Return in 24 h | No FASTag (UPI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car / Jeep / Van | ₹1,005 | ₹1,456 | ₹1,256 |
| LCV / Mini bus | ₹1,748 | ₹2,447 | ₹2,188 |
| Bus / Truck (2 axle) | ₹3,511 | ₹4,951 | ₹4,388 |
| 3-axle commercial | ₹5,374 | ₹7,553 | ₹6,720 |
| 4–6 axle (MAV) | ₹5,544 | ₹7,863 | ₹6,933 |
| 7+ axle (oversized) | ₹5,999 | ₹8,828 | ₹7,501 |
One way, 656 km, at Kerala prices (petrol ₹114.57/L, diesel ₹103.43/L). Typical highway mileage; change it in the calculator for your car.
| Car type | Petrol | Diesel | CNG | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchback | ₹4,177 | ₹3,085 | ₹2,499 | ₹1,641 |
| Sedan | ₹5,013 | ₹3,573 | ₹2,953 | ₹1,875 |
| SUV / MUV | ₹6,835 | ₹4,848 | ₹3,822 | ₹2,386 |
Petrol is cheapest in Tamil Nadu (₹108.78/L) and dearest in Kerala (₹114.57/L). Filling the ~44 litres you need in Tamil Nadu saves about ₹253 versus buying it all in Kerala.
For the same sedan, fuel for one way costs ₹5,013 on petrol, ₹3,573 on diesel and about ₹1,875 on electric (public fast charging at ₹20/kWh; home charging is far cheaper). An EV with ~350 km real range needs about 2 charging stops on the way.
The pass costs ₹3,075 for 200 crossings (₹15.38 per crossing) on NHAI plazas. This trip uses 14 crossings one way — worth about ₹215 of pass value against ₹925 in regular fees. If you drive highways often, the pass pays off on this route.
Return within 24 hours and the car toll for the round trip is ₹1,296 instead of ₹1,850 — a 30% discount that FASTag applies automatically.
About ₹1,005 one way with FASTag across 15 plazas — ₹925 in published fees plus ~₹80 estimated for 1 plaza that don't publish rates. A return within 24 hours costs ₹1,456. Without FASTag you pay 1.25x by UPI: ₹1,256.
15 on the fastest route: Paliyekkara, Panniyankara, Chullimada Hamlet (Pampampallam), Madukkarai, Pollachi Cochin, Trichy Cochin, Neelambur, Kaniyur, Vijaymangalmam, Vaigundam, Mettupatti, Nathakkarai, Veeracholapuram (West), Sengurichi, Vikravandi (Villupuram).
About 44 litres for a car doing 15 km/l (₹5,013 at Kochi prices). A hatchback at 18 km/l needs ~36 L; an SUV at 11 km/l needs ~60 L.
Around ₹6,018 one way for a petrol sedan (fuel ₹5,013 + toll ₹1,005), or ₹11,481 for a same-day return. Split between four people that is ₹1,504 each, one way.
Plan on about 12 h 20 min including short breaks. Free-flowing traffic can do it in 8 h 56 min, but towns, trucks and plaza queues usually add time.
One way with FASTag: bus/2-axle truck ₹3,511, 3-axle ₹5,374, 4–6 axle ₹5,544, 7+ axle ₹5,999 (includes estimates for plazas without published fees).
Yes, plazas charge the same fee in both directions, so the Mahabalipuram to Kochi toll is the same ~₹1,005 for a car. Fuel cost differs only if you fill up at Mahabalipuram's state price.
Fees are revised every 1 April and some plazas change mid-year, so treat results as a close estimate. Spotted a wrong fee or a missing plaza? Tell us — we fix reported errors within 72 hours and log them on our corrections page.
Built and maintained by Nikhil Shrivastava. Full method: how the calculator works.
Last updated: 24 October 2026