Police said 31-year-old suspect, surnamed Wang, admitted to murdering his parents and burning their bodies before attempting to commit suicide in their home in Fengxian district of Shanghai.
He was arrested when police responded to a report of fire incident on Sunday night, the Global Times reported.
The victims were identified as Wang's 56-year-old father and 54-year-old mother.
Relatives and neighbours said that Wang's parents spoiled him by giving him almost anything he wanted. He had a lot of credit card debt, but no steady job.