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

No

While the core dictionary definition of "causar" (to cause, to provoke, or to induce) remains the same in both dialects, there is a significant difference in typical usage. In Brazilian Portuguese, "causar" is frequently used as a slang term to mean "to make a scene," "to show off," or "to draw attention to oneself" (e.g., chegar causando). In European Portuguese, while the word is used for its standard meaning, this specific colloquial/slang connotation is much less common; a Portuguese person would more likely use verbs like destacar-se (to stand out) or expressions like chamar a atenção (to draw attention).

Brazilian Portuguese

  1. Ela chegou na festa causando. (She arrived at the party making a scene/showing off.)
  2. Esse erro vai causar um grande prejuízo. (This error will cause a great loss.)
  3. O filme causou muita discussão no grupo. (The movie caused a lot of discussion in the group.)
  4. Não quero causar nenhum mal-entendido. (I don't want to cause any misunderstanding.)
  5. Ele adora chegar causando. (He loves to arrive making a scene/drawing attention.)

European Portuguese

  1. Ela chegou à festa a chamar a atenção. (She arrived at the party drawing attention.)
  2. Este erro vai causar um enorme prejuízo. (This error will cause an enormous loss.)
  3. O filme deu que falar no grupo. (The movie gave people something to talk about in the group.)
  4. Não quero causar qualquer mal-entendido. (I don't want to cause any misunderstanding.)
  5. Ele gosta de se destacar quando chega. (He likes to stand out when he arrives.)