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

Yes

The word "mal" is identical in meaning, grammar, and spelling in both Brazilian and Continental Portuguese. It functions both as an adverb (meaning "badly" or "poorly") and as a noun (meaning "evil" or "harm"). The only differences are pronunciation and prosody. In Brazilian Portuguese, the "l" at the end of the word is often vocalized, sounding much like a "u" ([maw]), and the vowels are generally more open. In Continental Portuguese, the "l" is more alveolar, and the rhythm of the sentence is more stress-timed, often resulting in more reduced or "swallowed" unstressed vowels. Additionally, while the word "mal" remains the same, the surrounding syntax and vocabulary in a sentence will often change.

Brazilian Portuguese Examples

1. Eu não estou me sentindo muito mal hoje. (I am not feeling very unwell today.)
2. Ele sempre fala mal do meu trabalho. (He always speaks badly of my work.)
3. Mal cheguei em casa e o telefone tocou. (I had barely arrived home when the phone rang.)
4. O mal do mundo é a falta de empatia. (The evil of the world is the lack of empathy.)
5. A situação correu muito mal no final. (The situation went very badly in the end.)

Continental Portuguese Examples

1. Não me estou a sentir muito mal hoje. (I am not feeling very unwell today.)
2. Ele fala sempre mal do meu trabalho. (He always speaks badly of my work.)
3. Mal cheguei a casa e o telefone tocou. (I had barely arrived home when the phone rang.)
4. O mal do mundo é a falta de empatia. (The evil of the world is the lack of empathy.)
5. A situação correu muito mal no fim. (The situation went very badly at the end.)