To continue with your metaphor what he did is basically say "My salary is great because I make more than that other guy". That doesn't mean anything.

The comparison to Rust is meaningless.

Each project has different demands and requirements from their infrastructure.

For example, Rust compiles all open-source crates on a regular basis to test for regressions.

You can't just point to Rust and say, "Look at that guy."

If you want to justify the expenses of your infrastructure you need to explain where the money goes.