351 km · 10 toll plazas · about 7 h 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 Salem is a comfortable one-day drive of 351 km, mostly on NH544 and Salem - Kochi - Kanyakumari Highway.
You cross 10 toll plazas across Kerala, Tamil Nadu. For a car the published fees add up to ₹560 one way, about ₹1.60 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 | 72 | Kerala | ₹90 | ₹140 | ₹2,760 | ₹160 | ₹320 | ₹515 |
| 2 | Panniyankara | 105 | Kerala | ₹115 | ₹170 | ₹3,825 | ₹180 | ₹360 | ₹550 |
| 3 | Chullimada Hamlet (Pampampallam) | 155 | Kerala | ₹80 | ₹120 | ₹2,710 | ₹130 | ₹275 | ₹430 |
| 4 | Madukkarai | 175 | 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 | 257 | Tamil Nadu | ₹70 | ₹105 | ₹2,060 | ₹120 | ₹240 | ₹385 |
| 10 | Vaigundam | 317 | Tamil Nadu | ₹75 | ₹115 | ₹2,275 | ₹135 | ₹265 | ₹425 |
| Total (published fees) | 351 | ₹560 | ₹756 | ₹983 | ₹1,981 | ₹3,094 |
Totals for all 10 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 | ₹640 | ₹916 | ₹801 |
| LCV / Mini bus | ₹1,108 | ₹1,492 | ₹1,387 |
| Bus / Truck (2 axle) | ₹2,241 | ₹3,041 | ₹2,801 |
| 3-axle commercial | ₹3,339 | ₹4,488 | ₹4,176 |
| 4–6 axle (MAV) | ₹3,509 | ₹4,798 | ₹4,389 |
| 7+ axle (oversized) | ₹3,964 | ₹5,763 | ₹4,957 |
One way, 351 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 | ₹2,233 | ₹1,649 | ₹1,336 | ₹877 |
| Sedan | ₹2,680 | ₹1,910 | ₹1,579 | ₹1,002 |
| SUV / MUV | ₹3,654 | ₹2,592 | ₹2,043 | ₹1,276 |
Petrol is cheapest in Tamil Nadu (₹108.78/L) and dearest in Kerala (₹114.57/L). Filling the ~23 litres you need in Tamil Nadu saves about ₹135 versus buying it all in Kerala.
For the same sedan, fuel for one way costs ₹2,680 on petrol, ₹1,910 on diesel and about ₹1,002 on electric (public fast charging at ₹20/kWh; home charging is far cheaper). An EV with ~350 km real range needs about 1 charging stop on the way.
The pass costs ₹3,075 for 200 crossings (₹15.38 per crossing) on NHAI plazas. This trip uses 9 crossings one way — worth about ₹138 of pass value against ₹560 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 ₹756 instead of ₹1,120 — a 32% discount that FASTag applies automatically.
About ₹640 one way with FASTag across 10 plazas — ₹560 in published fees plus ~₹80 estimated for 1 plaza that don't publish rates. A return within 24 hours costs ₹916. Without FASTag you pay 1.25x by UPI: ₹801.
10 on the fastest route: Paliyekkara, Panniyankara, Chullimada Hamlet (Pampampallam), Madukkarai, Pollachi Cochin, Trichy Cochin, Neelambur, Kaniyur, Vijaymangalmam, Vaigundam.
About 23 litres for a car doing 15 km/l (₹2,680 at Kochi prices). A hatchback at 18 km/l needs ~19 L; an SUV at 11 km/l needs ~32 L.
Around ₹3,320 one way for a petrol sedan (fuel ₹2,680 + toll ₹640), or ₹6,276 for a same-day return. Split between four people that is ₹830 each, one way.
Plan on about 7 h including short breaks. Free-flowing traffic can do it in 4 h 58 min, but towns, trucks and plaza queues usually add time.
One way with FASTag: bus/2-axle truck ₹2,241, 3-axle ₹3,339, 4–6 axle ₹3,509, 7+ axle ₹3,964 (includes estimates for plazas without published fees).
Yes, plazas charge the same fee in both directions, so the Salem to Kochi toll is the same ~₹640 for a car. Fuel cost differs only if you fill up at Salem'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