The purpose of this study was to determine the input use cost, return, and profitability associated with the production of sugarcane in the Villupuram District in the state of Tamil Nadu. In the current study, a representative sample of 64 sugarcane farmers from the research area was chosen to have their input-output data collected for analysis based on the annual cropping season of the years 2020–21. On surface sugarcane plantations, the respective amounts of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash that were used were 315.33 kilogrammes, 145.04 kilogrammes, and 144.77 kilogrammes. On drip sugarcane fields, the amounts of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash that were used were 194.81 kilogrammes, 90.52 kilogrammes, and 90.40 kilogrammes, respectively. The use of irrigation was significantly higher in surface sugarcane farms at 11620.24 cubic metres, while it was significantly lower in drip sugarcane farms at 6553.68 cubic metres. The cost-C was highest for the drip farm at Rs. 193177.47, followed by the cost-C for the surface farm at Rs. 164498.02. Returns from the principal crop were significantly greater in drip sugarcane farms, amounting to Rs. 360,888.00 in comparison to Rs. 242,924.00 in surface sugarcane farms. In drip sugarcane farms, the returns on yield were higher, coming in at Rs. 15402.00 per acre, as opposed to Rs. 11764.00 per acre in surface sugarcane farms. Because production was stronger on drip irrigation farms in comparison to surface irrigation farms, the output-input ratio was higher on drip sugarcane farms, coming in at 1.95, than it was on surface sugarcane farms, which had a ratio of 1.55. The cost of producing sugarcane per tonne was significantly higher on surface sugarcane farms, coming in at Rs. 2200.00, whereas the cost was just Rs. 1083.73 on drip sugarcane farms.