Is the word cabeça the same in Brazilian and European Portuguese?

Yes

The word "cabeça" is identical in spelling, meaning, and grammatical gender in both Brazilian and Continental Portuguese. The only fundamental difference is pronunciation.

In Brazilian Portuguese, the vowels are generally more open and clearly articulated. The "e" in the middle is an open [e], and the final "a" is pronounced clearly and distinctly.

In Continental Portuguese, vowels—especially unstressed ones—undergo significant reduction. The "e" is often neutralized or "closed," and the final "a" is a much shorter, muffled sound. This makes the word sound more "clipped" to a Brazilian ear. While the word itself is the same, the surrounding idiomatic phrasing (such as which prepositions or pronouns are used) often differs to sound natural in each dialect.

Brazilian Portuguese Examples

1. Minha cabeça está doendo muito. (My head is hurting a lot.)
2. Ele é o cabeça do projeto. (He is the head of the project.)
3. Não entendi, não entrou na minha cabeça. (I didn't understand, it didn't enter my head.)
4. Tira essa ideia da sua cabeça! (Get that idea out of your head!)
5. Estou com a cabeça nas nuvens. (I am head in the clouds.)

Continental Portuguese Examples

1. Sinto uma dor de cabeça terrível. (I feel a terrible headache.)
2. Ele é o cabeça da organização. (He is the head of the organization.)
3. Não me passou pela cabeça fazer isso. (It didn't cross my mind to do that.)
4. Tira essa ideia da tua cabeça. (Get that idea out of your head.)
5. Estás com a cabeça nas nuvens. (You are head in the clouds.)