In the title compound, C14H8ClNO5, the benzene rings form a dihedral angle of 19.55 (9)°. The mean plane of the central ester group [r.m.s. deviation = 0.024 Å] forms dihedral angles of 53.28 (13) and 36.93 (16)°, respectively, with the nitro- and chloro-substituted rings. The nitro group forms a dihedral angle of 19.24 (19)° with the benzene ring to which it is attached. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming C(7) chains, which run along [100].