292 km · 4 toll plazas · about 5 h 10 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.
Mahabalipuram to Salem is a comfortable one-day drive of 292 km.
You cross 4 toll plazas. For a car the published fees add up to ₹145 one way, about ₹0.50 per km, cheaper than most highway corridors. 2 plazas on this route do not publish fees in the NHAI dataset; budget about ₹160 extra to be safe.
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 | Mahabalipuramstate | 11 | Tamil Nadu | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | Athur (Tindivanam) | 64 | Tamil Nadu | ₹75 | ₹110 | ₹2,435 | ₹120 | ₹245 | ₹390 |
| 3 | Naglikondan | 104 | Tamil Nadu | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | H. Pudhupatti | 241 | Tamil Nadu | ₹70 | ₹100 | ₹2,270 | ₹110 | ₹230 | ₹360 |
| Total (published fees) | 292 | ₹145 | ₹210 | ₹230 | ₹475 | ₹750 |
Totals for all 4 plazas, including our estimate for 2 plazas 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 | ₹305 | ₹530 | ₹382 |
| LCV / Mini bus | ₹480 | ₹840 | ₹600 |
| Bus / Truck (2 axle) | ₹995 | ₹1,755 | ₹1,244 |
| 3-axle commercial | ₹1,130 | ₹2,000 | ₹1,413 |
| 4–6 axle (MAV) | ₹1,580 | ₹2,780 | ₹1,976 |
| 7+ axle (oversized) | ₹1,910 | ₹3,370 | ₹2,388 |
One way, 292 km, at Tamil Nadu prices (petrol ₹108.78/L, diesel ₹100.59/L). Typical highway mileage; change it in the calculator for your car.
| Car type | Petrol | Diesel | CNG | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchback | ₹1,766 | ₹1,336 | ₹1,119 | ₹731 |
| Sedan | ₹2,120 | ₹1,547 | ₹1,322 | ₹835 |
| SUV / MUV | ₹2,890 | ₹2,100 | ₹1,711 | ₹1,063 |
For the same sedan, fuel for one way costs ₹2,120 on petrol, ₹1,547 on diesel and about ₹835 on electric (public fast charging at ₹20/kWh; home charging is far cheaper).
The pass costs ₹3,075 for 200 crossings (₹15.38 per crossing) on NHAI plazas. This trip uses 2 crossings one way — worth about ₹31 of pass value against ₹145 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 ₹210 instead of ₹290 — a 28% discount that FASTag applies automatically.
About ₹305 one way with FASTag across 4 plazas — ₹145 in published fees plus ~₹160 estimated for 2 plazas that don't publish rates. A return within 24 hours costs ₹530. Without FASTag you pay 1.25x by UPI: ₹382.
4 on the fastest route: Mahabalipuram, Athur (Tindivanam), Naglikondan, H. Pudhupatti.
About 19 litres for a car doing 15 km/l (₹2,120 at Mahabalipuram prices). A hatchback at 18 km/l needs ~16 L; an SUV at 11 km/l needs ~27 L.
Around ₹2,425 one way for a petrol sedan (fuel ₹2,120 + toll ₹305), or ₹4,769 for a same-day return. Split between four people that is ₹606 each, one way.
Plan on about 5 h 10 min including short breaks. Free-flowing traffic can do it in 3 h 47 min, but towns, trucks and plaza queues usually add time.
One way with FASTag: bus/2-axle truck ₹995, 3-axle ₹1,130, 4–6 axle ₹1,580, 7+ axle ₹1,910 (includes estimates for plazas without published fees).
Yes, plazas charge the same fee in both directions, so the Salem to Mahabalipuram toll is the same ~₹305 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