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

No

While the literal dictionary definition of "garoto" (a young male) is the same in both dialects, there is a significant difference in typical usage. In Brazil, "garoto" is a very common, natural, and friendly way to refer to a boy or a young man. In Portugal, however, "garot" is rarely used in everyday speech; it sounds distinctly Brazilian. A person from Portugal would naturally use the word miúdo (for a child) or rapaz (for a boy or young man).

Additionally, there is a grammatical difference in how actions are expressed: Brazilians heavily use the gerund (e.g., brincando), whereas the Portuguese typically use the preposition "a" followed by the infinitive (e.g., a brincar).

Brazilian Portuguese Examples

1. Aquele garoto é muito inteligente. (That boy is very intelligent.)
2. O garoto está brincando no parque. (The boy is playing in the park.)
3. Ele era um garoto muito travesso. (He was a very naughty boy.)
4. Oi, garoto, tudo bem? (Hi, boy, everything okay?)
5. Aquele garoto cresceu muito rápido. (That boy grew up very fast.)

Continental Portuguese Examples

1. Aquele miúdo é muito inteligente. (That kid is very intelligent.)
2. O miúdo está a brincar no parque. (The kid is playing in the park.)
3. Ele era um miúdo muito travesso. (He was a very naughty kid.)
4. Olá, rapaz, tudo bem? (Hello, young man, everything okay?)
5. Aquele miúdo cresceu muito rápido. (That kid grew up very fast.)