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

No

While the meaning and spelling of "fofoca" are identical in both dialects, there is a difference in typical usage. In Brazil, "fofoca" is the ubiquitous, standard term for gossip. In Portugal, while "fofoca" is understood and used, the word "mexerico" is a much more common and natural way to express the same idea. Furthermore, the pronunciation varies significantly: Brazilian Portuguese maintains more open vowels, whereas European Portuguese features heavy vowel reduction, making the unstressed syllables sound much more clipped or almost silent.

Brazilian Portuguese

1. Eu adoro uma fofoca de fim de semana. (I love some weekend gossip.)
2. Ela não consegue guardar uma fofoca para ela. (She can't keep a piece of gossip to herself.)
3. Isso que você está dizendo é só fofoca. (What you are saying is just gossip.)
4. A fofoca se espalhou pela cidade inteira. (The gossip spread through the entire city.)
5. Não gosto de pessoas que vivem de fofoca. (I don't like people who live for gossip.)

European Portuguese

1. Estão a circular uns mexericos na escola. (Some gossip is circulating at school.)
2. Não me venhas com esses mexericos! (Don't come to me with that gossip!)
3. Ela é famosa pelos seus mexericos. (She is famous for her gossip.)
4. O mexerico sobre o vizinho é mentira. (The gossip about the neighbor is a lie.)
5. O bairro está cheio de mexericos. (The neighborhood is full of gossip.)