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

No

The difference lies in typical usage. In Brazilian Portuguese, "geral" is frequently used informally as a noun or collective pronoun to mean "everyone," "the whole group," or "the crowd" (e.g., "o geral"). In Continental Portuguese, this usage is not natural; a Portuguese person would instead use "toda a gente" (everyone) or "o pessoal" (the group/the folks). While both dialects use "geral" as an adjective meaning "general" or "overall," the Brazilian habit of using it to refer to a group of people is a distinct linguistic feature.

Additionally, there is a pronunciation difference: in Brazil, the final "l" is typically pronounced as a "u" (sounding like ge-raw), whereas in Portugal, the "l" is more alveolar and distinct.

Brazilian Portuguese

1. O geral já sabe da festa. (Everyone already knows about the party.)
2. A ideia geral do projeto é boa. (The general idea of the project is good.)
3. O custo geral da viagem aumentou. (The overall cost of the trip increased.)
4. Vou avisar o geral sobre a reunião. (I'm going to let everyone know about the meeting.)
5. É uma medida de interesse geral. (It is a measure of general interest.)

Continental Portuguese

1. Toda a gente já sabe da festa. (Everyone already knows about the party.)
2. A ideia geral do projeto é boa. (The general idea of the project is good.)
3. O custo global da viagem aumentou. (The overall cost of the trip increased.)
4. Vou avisar o pessoal sobre a reunião. (I'm going to let the group know about the meeting.)
5. É uma medida de interesse geral. (It is a measure of general interest.)